The Federal High Court in Abuja, led by Justice James Omotosho, has officially declared the Lakurawa sect a terrorist organization, issuing a proscription order against it. The decision followed an ex-parte application filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

The court’s ruling extends the proscription to similar groups operating in Nigeria, particularly in the North West and North Central regions, identifying their activities as acts of terrorism.

Key points from the ruling include:

• The court recognizes the Lakurawa sect and other similar groups as terrorist organizations and prohibits their activities in Nigeria.
• The existence of the Lakurawa sect and related groups is proscribed, regardless of the name under which they operate.
• The court also forbids individuals or groups from participating in activities supporting or related to the sect’s objectives, whether under the Lakurawa name or another platform.
• Groups with similar objectives, such as banditry, kidnapping, mass abduction, cattle rustling, and sexual violence, are also deemed illegal and proscribed.

The Federal Government, in its application, provided evidence of the Lakurawa sect's involvement in activities like cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, hostage-taking, and attacks on government officials and security forces. The government argued that these actions met the criteria for the group to be banned under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

The court emphasized that proscribing the Lakurawa sect was vital for ensuring national peace, security, and justice in Nigeria.