The Ogun Special Anti-Cultism Court in Abeokuta on Friday sentenced two men, Sodiq Idowu,27, and Akintope Akinmolayan,22, to seven years’ imprisonment each for belonging to a secret cult.

The defendants, whose addresses were not provided, were convicted on a sole count charge of membership of an unlawful society.

The magistrate, O.L. Oke, said the prosecution had proven its case beyond every reasonable doubt, adding that the convicts were guilty as charged.

He, therefore, sentenced Messrs Idowu and Akinmolayan to seven years each without an option of fines.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Olaide Rawlings told the court that the convict committed the offences on September 4, 2023, in the Ogbaiyo area of Agbado in the Ifo Local Government of Ogun.

Mr Rawling said the Agbado Divisional Police Headquarters in Ogun received a distress call from a member of the public that some hoodlums suspected to be cultists had engaged themselves in a rivalry fight.

“The police team visited the scene of the crime and arrested the two defendants while others fled.

“Upon interrogation, they made a confessional statement of belonging to Eiye Confraternity (a secret cult),” she said.

Mr 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.

(NAN)