Court jails man 7 years for cultism

An Ogun Special Anti-Cultism Court in Abeokuta on Friday sentenced a 36-year-old man, Oluwole Olushola, to seven years imprisonment for belonging to a secret cult.

Olushola with no fixed address, was convicted on a two-count charge of membership of an unlawful society and possession of dangerous weapon.

The Magistrate, Mr O.L Oke, said that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt.

He sentenced the convict to seven years in count one and five years imprisonment in count two.

Oke sentenced the convict without an option of fine, adding that the sentence should run concurrently.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Olaide Rawlings, told the court that the convict committed the offences on March 10, at Eloham Hostel, Harmony Estate at Camp Alabata area of Abeokuta.

Rawlings said that the convict was arrested by officers on patrol after they received a distress call over a cult rival clash.

She said during the convict’s arrest he was found with a Cutlass which he could not give a satisfactory account of.

“Upon his arrest, the convict made a confessional statement of belonging to a black Axe Secret Cult group” she said.

Rawlings, however, said the offences contravened Sections 34 and 80 of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and other Anti-Violence and other Related Offences Laws, 2016.