By Jethro Ibileke
Three secondary school students have been arraigned by the police in Benin, Edo state, before an Ogbeson Chief Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly being members of unlawful society.
The suspects, Aminu Rasak (19), Chinedu Aduba (14), and Eromosele Okonofuo (21), students of Aduwawa Secondary School, Benin, are being tried for one-count charge each for being members of an unlawful society.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Abass Faruk, told the court that the first defendant, Rasak, joined the Baby Bird secret cult (Eiye), sometimes in the month of March, 2018 at said school.
He added that the second and third defendants (Aduba and Okonofua) were initiated into Eiye cult in the same school on 10 January, 2019 and August 2018 respectively.
Faruk said the offence contravened provisions of Section 64 of the Criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. 11, Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976, now applicable in Edo state.
The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charge
If found guilty of being a member of an unlawful society, a convict stands a three-year jail term.
The Chief Magistrate, Prince Mutairu Oare, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N100,000 each, with one surety in like sum.
Oare said the surety must either be a parent or a guardian, adding that all information must be verified by the court’s Registrar.
The magistrate adjourned the case until June 2, for further hearing.