Ogun: 22-year-old sentenced to seven-year imprisonment for cultism

• The 22-year-old Adenekan was sentenced and convicted by the Ogun Special Cultism Court sitting in Abeokuta, on Wednesday

One Adewale Adenekan will spend seven years in prison for his involvement in cultism and belonging to a secret society, an Ogun state court has ruled.

The 22-year-old Adenekan was sentenced and convicted by the Ogun Special Cultism Court sitting in Abeokuta, on Wednesday.

He was arraigned on two counts of conspiracy and membership of an unlawful society.

Adenekan, a resident of No. 3, Olaoluwa Close, Arigbanla Arigbajo in Ifo, Ogun, was convicted of both charges.

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

Oke also held that the slew of evidence presented by the prosecution were tenable and established that the defendant was guilty as charged.

Consequently, he sentenced Adenekan to seven years in prison without an option of a 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 others.

“I hope this will serve as a lesson and warning to others not to commit such an offence. There is no benefit in being a member of any proscribed society,” Oke said.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Olaide Rawlings, told the court that the convict committed the offence sometime on November 6, 2023, at Arigbajo in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun.

Rawlings said that the convict was invited by the police when some of his cult members were arrested during a cult clash.

She said that the suspects mentioned Adenekan as part of them.

The prosecutor said that the convict confessed that he was a member of the Eiye Confraternity.

She said that the offence violated Section 45(b) and 35(b) of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Property, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and Other Anti-Violence Related Matters Law of 2016.