Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd), has explained that there is a delay in declaring bandits as terrorists because due process needs to be followed.
Magashi who stated this on Friday, in Maiduguri, while fielding questions from newsmen, insisted that there was a procedure that needed to be observed before such a declaration.
“We are not declaring them terrorists because there is a procedure for doing that.
“When the procedure is followed, they will be classified as terrorists. We are waiting for the procedure to be completed,” NAN quoted him as saying.
Magashi was in Maiduguri with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and Service Chiefs on an assessment visit of the fight against insurgency in the North east and expressed satisfaction with the successes so far recorded
He said his team met with the Theatre Commander and other component commanders to deliberate on the next phase of operations, adding that the meeting also identified problems that required urgent attention to enhance the operations.
