Date: 2018-05-18

The Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, on Thursday warned against politicising the case of some suspected cultists that were paraded by the police in the state on May 10.

In a statement by his media aide, Muyideen Akorede, the governor contended that neither him nor the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had any links with the suspected cultists, who were paraded for alleged murder.

Describing cultism as a menace that should never be trivialised, Ahmed urged well-meaning Nigerians to disregard any attempt to politicise cultism but focus instead on joining hands with the government and security agencies to bring the menace to an end in the interest of public safety."

Saraki had on Wednesday told the Senate about an alleged plot by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to implicate him and Ahmed by linking them with the suspected cultists.

Ahmed, in his statement, denied knowledge of or any intention to harm any individual.

The statement read in part, "Neither him (Ahmed) nor the Senate President or any of their aides have links with the suspected cultists or their alleged activities. He also denied any knowledge of or any intention to harm any individual as the political leadership in the state has never used violence as a political tool.

"Governor Ahmed emphasised that the growing problem of cultism and cult-related criminalities formed the basis of his charge to the new Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aminu Saleh, to focus on ending the menace on his resumption last month."

Ahmed said the Kwara State Government under his watch regarded cultism as a serious security issue requiring urgent attention and had accordingly amended the State Cultism Law to prescribe stiffer penalties for convicts and those who aid and abet them.

The statement added, "Governor Ahmed warned that cultism is a serious security challenge which should neither be trivialised nor turned into a political tool or treated with levity.

"He, therefore, urged well-meaning Nigerians to disregard any attempt to politicise the menace of cultism but focus instead on joining hands with the government and security agencies to bring the menace to an end in the interest of public safety while allowing the rule of law and justice to prevail in the matter."