4 in court for alleged cult membership

Four men – Oni Olamide, Samson Shodipe, Ajayi Ajibade and Akinola Tolulope – on Wednesday appeared before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ court for allegedly belonging to a secret cult.

Olamide, 23; Shodipe, 24; Ajibade, 20 and Tolulope, 26, are facing a charge of belonging to secret society.

The prosecutor, Insp. Oriyomi Akinwale, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on March 18 in Iworoko-Ekiti.

Akinwale said the defendants were arrested by the police for being  members of the Black Axe confraternity.

He said the offence contravened Section (i) of Secret Cult Abolition Law, 2017.

The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional centre pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The pleas of the defendants were not taken.

Defence Counsel, Mr Timi Omotosho and Mr Chris Omokhafe, urged the court to grant the defendants bail promising that they would not jump bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Lanre Owoleso granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

Owoleso said one of the sureties should be a parent of the defendants and the other surety a civil servant on grade level 10.

He adjourned the case until April 12 for mention.