The police in Ogun, on Tuesday charged 10 persons before an Ota Magistrates’ Court over alleged membership of a secret cult.
The accused are Owolabi Lateef, 29; Sunday Owolabi, 23; Ajayi Michael, 18; Alliu Sunday, 18; and Toheeb Saheed, 18.
Others are Shodimu Abiola, 20; Agbaje Yusuf, 19; Tunde Mustpha, 19; Olabanji Idris, 18; and Opeyemi Jejelaye, 17, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
The accused, of no fixed addresses, are facing a two-count charge of breach of peace and belonging to a secret cult.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abdulkareem Mustapha, told the court that the accused and others still at large, committed the offences on June 17 about 9:30pm at Oke-Ore, Ota.
Mustapha said that the accused and their accomplices conspired to belong to a secret cult called `Aiye Confraternity’.
He said that the accused also conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by threatening the residents of Oke-Ore, with dangerous weapons like axe and machete.
The prosecutor said that the accused were arrested by the police in a move to attack another group.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 249(9) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Mathew Akinyemi, granted each of the accused N240,000 bail with two sureties each in like sum.
Akinyemi said that one of the sureties must own a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and should be a civil servant in Ogun on grade level 08 and above while their addresses should be verified by the police.
The case was adjourned until Aug. 22, for hearing.