10/04/2026
THE BLURRY LINE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE OF TERRORISM AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR TERRORISM
In criminal law jurisprudence, the offence of concealing information of acts of terrorism is provided by section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The provisions trigger deeper reflections on the limits of a person’s knowledge of acts of terrorism and criminal responsibility of same.
This manifested in the recent judgements of the Federal High Court against two convicts. One convict bagged 10 years imprisonment for failure to disclose terrorism information to the security agencies despite the fact that he was shot on the leg by the terrorists while on his way to relay the information. The other convict was equally sentenced to 10 years imprisonment despite his defense that he was on hot pursuit by the terrorists because of the information he had which forced him to first free to Adamawa and later to Onitsha were he settled as a bricklayer before his subsequent arrest.
What is the extent of responsibility imposed by law on a person with terrorism information to dislcose same on one hand, and the danger of such doslosure to his life and family on the other hand. Should the jurisprudence of sentencing and conviction be blind to the fact that a man who has one of his legs shot and shattered, has only his survival to contend with and nothing more. Should the mortal fear of being eliminated not considered by law as a credible defence, even when such had forced the convict to free from his home to another distant land in order to preserve his life?
While it is acknowledged that terrorism is a serious offense that necessitated the stricter provisions of the terrorism law, it is my humble view that the provisions of section 16 could still admit of certain exceptions like the situations under illustration. This is bearing in mind that the convicts herein are more of victims than convicts as the ultimate protection of their lives rest with the state. The issue of witness/informant protection by the state is also a vital factor as only citizens that have sense of security and protection by the state would provide relevant information to the security agencies.
Except there is a material facts that a person conceals information of terrorism acts for economic or other beneficial purposes, it would be hard to define the blurring line between knowledge of terrorism and responsibility for terrorism.
