Osun court remands nine persons for alleged cultism

An Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun on Monday remanded nine persons in correctional facility over alleged cultism.

The defendants are, Lawal Ibrahim, 22; Tosin Olajiire, 22; Monday Abiola, 22; Abolarin Amos, 20; Leke Adebisi, 20; Oyewole Jamiu, 20; Hammed Eluwande,25; Atoyebi Segun, 28 and Segun Oyewole, 35.

The defendants are facing a nine-count charge bothering on conspiracy, cultism, possession of dangerous weapon, stealing, illegal road block, threat, robbery and selling trafficking in Indian hemp.

The prosecutor, Insp. Sunday Osanyintuyi, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Jan. 29, between 12:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. at Ile-Ife.

Osanyintuyi said the defendants, who paraded themselves as members of a secret society called Eiye confraternity, were disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood of Ile-Ife.

The prosecutor said that the defendants were also found to be in possession substance suspected to be Indian hemp.

According to Osanyintuyi, the defendants illegally blocked the road, threatening the residents of Ile-Ife and dispossessing them of their belongings.

The prosecutor said that Olajiire, Jamiu, Abiola, Oyewole and Eluwande cannot give satisfactory account of how they got  two Infinix, two Itel and one Nokia cell phones found in their possession.

Osanyintuyi said that the offences contravened sections 5, 6, 62, 71, 88, 401, 402 and 403 of the Criminal Laws of Osun, 2002.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defence counsel, Awodele Awominure, applied for the bail of the defendants in most liberal terms, pledging that the defendants would not jump bail, but would provide reliable sureties.

Magistrate Olusola Aluko did not grant the bail of the defendants, but asked the counsel to apply for their bail application in writing.

Aluko remanded the defendants in Ilesa Correctional Centre pending the consideration of their bail and adjourned the case until February 15, 2022.