The Managing Director of Beacon Consulting Limited, Kabiru Adamu, said the president does not have the authority to designate a group as terrorist.
Adamu made the statement on Monday during an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television monitored by DAILY POST.
He was speaking on the Tinubu administration’s declaration of armed groups as terrorists.
“The president does not have the power to determine whether a group is a terrorist or not, neither does any member of the administration. That power resides with the competent court of jurisdiction.
“The law that determines who a terrorist is in Nigeria is the Terrorism (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, as amended in 2022.
“It defines what terrorism is, and it also provides the procedure for determining what or who a terrorist group is, or who is supporting or financing terrorism.
“And that law puts the responsibility for that determination in a competent court of jurisdiction. It also puts the responsibility for petitioning and reaching that determination on the Attorney-General of the Federation.
“So, even the president in this instance does not have the power to determine whether a group is terrorist or not. Neither does any member of the administration of the executive arm,” he said.
