Court sentenced man to seven years for cultism

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

Olushola, of no fixed address, was convicted on a two-count charge of membership of an unlawful society and possession of a 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 on count one and five years imprisonment on count two.

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

Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Olaide Rawlings, told the court that the convict committed the offenses 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 stated that the offenses violated Sections 34 and 80 of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties, as well as the laws concerning Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism, and other anti-violence and related offenses established in 2016.