The Citizens Against Fake Activists (CAFA) has called on the National Assembly to amend the nation’s anti-terror legislation to dish out stiffer penalties, such as death by hanging to fake activists and others who aid and abet terrorism.
CAFA said it came to this conclusion after thoroughly evaluating the ongoing war against terrorism in the north-east and other security breaches across the country.
In a statement signed by its Director, Media and Strategy, Joseph Audu, on Thursday, CAFA said these individuals and groups are currently sabotaging the efforts of the troops, providing intelligence, logistic and strategic support to terrorists that are fleeing the ongoing military onslaught.
According to these citizens, if this is done, the Nigerian Army can now proceed to wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.
On its part, however, CAFA vowed to expose these activists working for the interest of foreign governments while also championing the sponsorship of a bill to amend the terrorism act.
Read full statement below:
Following months of evaluating the ongoing war against terrorism in the north-east and other security breaches across the country, Citizens Against Fake Activists (CAFA), has come to the conclusion that it is time to amend the nation’s anti-terror legislation to deliver stiffer penalties on those that aid and abet terrorism.
We see this as the next logical step since the combatant terrorist elements have been largely contained and dealt with since the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. gen T.Y. Buratai became entrenched in the war front. The terrorists now manifest mostly in other forms that place them beyond the purview of the army, like posing as activists to spew terrorist propaganda in the media and online or sabotaging the anti-terror war by providing intelligence, logistic and strategic support to terrorists that are fleeing the ongoing military onslaught.
The National Assembly must therefore wake up to its responsibility and be proactive to amend the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013 to prescribe death by hanging for anyone that supports Boko Haram in any way, including those that hide behind the nomenclature of activists to offer assistance to terrorists and those who collude with foreign entities to undermine the national interest of Nigeria.
Once the legislation is so amended, CAFA is ready to expose activists working for the interest of foreign governments and those that act as conduit for such interests to funnel support to Boko Haram members or other terrorists.
It is our view that if they can be callous to the point of sabotaging Nigeria for foreign interests and help them to empower Boko Haram then they should also be ready to get what is coming to them as repercussion for their treachery. They should be ready to receive the kind of death sentence handed down to that Iranian who participated in the espionage that killed that country’s top general recently.
We urge the Federal Government to clearly make a point that it will no longer tolerate citizens who receive foreign funding to blackmail the country. These blackmailers had in the past caused the government difficulties in buying weapons to prosecute the anti-terror war, dampen troops morale and promoted Boko Haram above the sovereignty of the Nigerian state.
These kinds of behaviours attract the death sentence in many jurisdictions, and it is time that Nigeria aligned with countries that have the maximum disincentive for terrorist sympathizers. People who engage in acts that directly or indirectly rob others of their lives do not deserve to live too and it is time this message is made loud and clear.
When people who unleash terror on others are made to dance to their own music then we would as a country overcome the toxicity of Boko Haram, ISWAP, Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) gangs of extremists and the human losses they visit on the nation. CAFA is therefore urging that the necessary amendments be made to ensure that those who persist in holding any form of affiliation with these groups will be made to keep dates with the hangman.
As a demonstration of its commitment to fast-track the process of amending the legislation to prescribe death sentence for terrorist-supporting pseudo activists, CAFA pledges to lead the way through the sponsorship of a bill to amend the terrorism act where citizens that promote terrorism will receive more severe charges than the terrorists themselves.
