A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended) and enact a new Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2018 (HB. 1296) providing measures for the prohibiting and combating of terrorist activities in Nigeria has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
Leading the debate on the Bill at plenary session of Tuesday, 8 May 2018 Hon. Kayode Oladele (APC: Ogun) stated that the bill seeks to repeal the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended) and enact the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2018 to provide measures for the detection, prevention, enforcement, combating and prohibition of acts of terrorism. The Bill seeks the effective implementation of international instruments aimed at preventing and combating terrorism and the suppressing its financing. In addition the bill seeks to establish an institutional framework such as the Nigerian Sanctions Committee for the implementation, coordination and enforcement of its provisions.
Some of the objectives of the bill include:
• The harmonization of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013 to correct the numbering challenges in the existing legal framework.
• Repeal of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended)
• Provide for enhanced measures for the detection, prevention, combating and prohibition of acts of terrorism and ensure the effective implementation of the international instruments on its prevention, suppression and financing among others
• The establishment of an institutional framework such as the Nigeria Sanctions Committee for the implementation, coordination and enforcement of the Bill’s provisions.
Lastly, he stated that Bill would domesticate certain international conventions and United Nations resolutions, which have already been signed and/or ratified by Nigeria. According to him, the Bill is in conformity with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Model legislative provisions against Terrorism and the African model anti- terrorism Law, 2011. He noted that the Bill’s provisions were also similar to legislations on terrorism from reputable jurisdictions such as that of the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Bill has been referred to the Committee on National Security and Intelligence for further legislative action.
