Court grants suspected cultist N500,000 bail over alleged gun possession

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court has granted N500,000 bail to a 37-year-old suspected cultist, Tope Akin, who was arraigned over alleged cult membership and unlawful firearm possession.

Akin was arraigned before Magistrate Lateef Owolabi on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cultism and unlawful possession of firearm.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Owolabi granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety in like sum and adjourned the case until Oct. 8 for further proceedings.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mrs Josephine Ikhayere, told the court that Akin and others still at large committed the offences at different times in Orile Iganmu and Ikotun areas of Lagos.

Ikhayere alleged that the defendant and others conspired in November 2023 to commit a felony by belonging to an unlawful society.

She also alleged that Akin belonged to the Eiye Confraternity, a society proscribed by law.

The prosecutor also alleged that on July 20, at about 12.15 a.m., opposite Play Land Hotel, Governor’s Road, Ikotun, Akin was found in possession of a locally-made cut-to-size single-barrel gun and one live cartridge.

She said the defendant could not give a satisfactory account of how he came about the firearm and cartridge.

She said the offences contravened Sections 330(d) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and Section 2(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) of the Unlawful Societies Prohibition and Cultism Law of Lagos State, 2021.