Ogun Court Sentences Man to Seven Years for Cultism

On Friday, 27-year-old Afeeze Ishola was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Ogun Special Anti-Cultism Court in Abeokuta for his involvement in a secret cult. The ruling, handed down by Magistrate J.A. Akan, found Ishola guilty of belonging to an illegal association, a crime punishable under the 2016 Anti-Cultism and Related Offences Law.

Magistrate Akan declared that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, sentencing Ishola to seven years without the option of a fine.

The case stemmed from an incident on September 2, 2022, when Ishola was apprehended at Opara II Estate Rounder, Abeokuta, around 4:30 a.m..

According to Insp. Olaide Rawlings, the prosecutor, Ishola was stopped by a security guard who questioned his presence in the area. During interrogation, it was revealed that Ishola was attempting to escape from a rival cult group allegedly targeting him.

He was subsequently handed over to the police, where further investigations confirmed his membership in the Eiye Confraternity Cult.

The prosecution argued that Ishola’s actions violated Section 34 of the Prohibition of Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism, and Other Anti-Violence and Related Offences Laws, 2016. His confession to being a member of a secret cult provided critical evidence in securing the conviction.

The sentence reflects the Ogun State government’s commitment to combating cultism and associated crimes. It serves as a stern warning to individuals involved in such activities, underscoring the state’s zero-tolerance stance on cultism to ensure public safety and order.