A 27-year-old man, Afeeze Ishola, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by the Ogun Special Anti-Cultism Court in Abeokuta for his involvement in a secret cult.
The judgment was delivered on Friday by Magistrate J.A. Akan, who ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Ishola, who resides at Otitoloju Street, Mile 2, along Ayetoro Road in Abeokuta, faced a single charge of unlawful membership in a secret society.
In his ruling, Magistrate Akan stated, “The evidence provided by the prosecution is credible and tenable. The defendant is found guilty as charged and is hereby sentenced to seven years in the correctional center without an option of a fine.”
The prosecutor, Inspector Olaide Rawlings, provided detailed evidence of the convict’s involvement with the Eiye Confraternity.
Rawlings recounted the events leading to Ishola’s arrest on September 2, 2022, at approximately 4:30 a.m., at Opara II Estate in the Rounder area of Abeokuta.
According to Rawlings, Ishola was caught by a vigilant security officer patrolling the community. The officer noticed Ishola wandering suspiciously and questioned him. During the interrogation, Ishola admitted he was fleeing from a rival cult group that had allegedly been targeting him for elimination.
Rawlings explained, “When confronted by the security officer, Ishola confessed that he was attempting to escape from members of a rival cult group intent on harming him. The officer, acting responsibly, handed him over to a police officer who resides in the community.”
Further investigations revealed Ishola’s affiliation with the Eiye Confraternity. During police questioning, the defendant reportedly confessed to being a member of the secret cult.
Inspector Rawlings argued that Ishola’s actions were in violation of Section 34 of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism, and Other Anti-Violence and Related Offences Laws of Ogun State, 2016. The law explicitly prohibits involvement in secret cults and related unlawful activities, with Section 36 outlining the penalties for such offenses.
