Seven suspected cultists, who were allegedly arrested during the swearing-in ceremony of the new cult executive members of the College of Education, Oro, Kwara State, have been remanded at the Federal Medium Security Prison, Mandala, llorin.

The order to remand the accused was made by an Ilorin Magistrate Court before which they appeared on a three-count charge of being a member of secret cult, unlawful possession of Indian hemp and illegal possession of firearm.

The offences contravene Sections 11(1) of Secret Cults and Secret Societies (Prohibition), Law of Kwara State, 2004; 5(1A and B) of Indian hemp, Act Cap 16 of the Law of the Federation, 2004 and 3(1) of Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision), Act Cap R11, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The accused are: Sarafa Ismaila Tosin, 24 of Baruba, Idiape Area, Ilorin; Shola Latinwo Ogungboye, 26 of Old Jebba, Ilorin; Shola Bolaji, 32 of Bale Compound, Ilorin and Bamikole Julius Femi, 26 of Alagbake Street, Newtown, Akure.

Others are: Bolaji Issa, 22 of No. 29, Alanamu Area, Ilorin; Opeyemi Afeez, 23 of Pakata Road, Alanamu Area, Ilorin and Ismaila Abdullahi, 22 of Small London Area, Oro.
Police from Oro Division arrested the accused on December 18, 2013 following a tip-off that some secret cult members from different parts of the state and beyond gathered in Oro to attend the cult initiation and swearing-in ceremony of the new cult executive members of the College of Education, Oro.

The accused were allegedly arrested within Oro with the assistance of members of the public after the ceremony while they were boarding a vehicle back to Ilorin.

Police said that when a search was conducted on them, a black bag containing a cut to size barrel gun, six expended cartridges, spanner, screw driver, a torchlight and some weed suspected to be Indian hemp was recovered from Tosin (first accused).

Police First Information Report (FIR) on the matter stated that the confession of the accused led to the arrest of one Ibrahim Abdullahi in Oro and a bag containing some documents including Eiye confraternity cult memberships register were recovered from his house.

The FIR added that investigation conducted at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ilorin, revealed that the accused are active and notorious members of the cult residing in Iloirn, they travelled to Oro for the purpose of attending the cult initiation and swearing-in ceremony of their executives which took place inside the bush behind College of Education, Oro.

The prosecutor, Corporal Oderinde Abideen informed the court that investigation into the matter was still in progress. He objected to the bail of the accused and urged the court to remand them in prison custody pending the outcome of the investigation.

The trial magistrate, Miss M.F. Abikoye granted the oral application of the prosecutor and ordered that the accused be remanded at the Federal Medium Security Prison, Mandala, llorin, until January 13 when the matter would come up for further mention.