A Special Cultism Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has sentenced one Adebayo Saheed to seven years imprisonment for belonging to a secret society.
The Magistrate, Mr. O.L Oke, said the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts, adding that the 21-year-old defendant was guilty as charged.
Oke held that the evidence presented by the prosecution were tenable.
He, therefore, sentenced Saheed without an option of fine.
“There is no doubt that there has been an increase in the occurrence of cult-related clashes in Ogun and it is the duty of the court to send a strong message to other would-be offenders.
“I hope this will serve as a lesson and warning to others not to commit such offence, because there is no benefit in being a member of any proscribed society,” the magistrate said.
The police charged Saheed on a count of belonging to unlawful society.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Olaide Rawlings, had told the court that the defendant committed the offence with five others still at large.
She said that was on July 7, 2023 at about 8.30pm in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Rawlings said the defendant and his accomplices were sighted by the police behind Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, in a hidden place chanting songs.
She said when they were accosted, five of them escaped while the defendant was caught.
“But he could not give reasons of what they were doing at that place, and at that hour of the night.”
The prosecutor said the defendant later made a confessional statement that he was a member of Eiye Confraternity secret group.
Rawlings noted that the offence contravened Section 34 and 36 of the prohibition of forcible occupation of landed properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and other Anti Violence Related Matter Law, 2016.
– NAN