29-year-old Man sentenced to 7 years in jail for Cult membership,
29-year-old Man sentenced to 7 years in jail for Cult membership
The Special Anti-Cultism Court 2 in Abeokuta on Thursday sentenced a 29-year-old man, Kazeem Popoola, to seven years in prison for belonging to a secret society and gun possession.
Popoola, also known as “K-Show”, was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, belonging to an unlawful society and being in possession of one locally-made gun and two live cartridges.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Delivering judgment, the Magistrate, Mr S.O Banwo, held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and pronounced Popoola guilty as charged.
Banwo then sentenced him to two years in prison for conspiracy, and seven years for belonging to an unlawful society.
He also sentenced the convict to five years in prison for unlawful possession of locally-made gun and two live cartridges without licence.
The magistrate ordered that the sentence would be without an option of fine and the terms were to run concurrently.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Johnson Pendosoji, had told the court that the convict committed the offences on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ijeja area in Abeokuta.
Pendosoji said while the police team were on a stop-and-search duty, the team recovered the items from the defendant who was on a motorcycle.
“The police team while on duty recovered a locally-made gun with two live cartridges which has no licence, and upon his arrest, he made a confessional statement that he was a member of the Eiye confraternity,” he said.
The prosecutor said this contravened Sections 34, 45(b) and 36 of a law of the state.
This law is the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Cultism, Kidnapping and other Anti-Violent and other Related Offences Laws of Ogun 2016.
He also said the offence committed contravened Section 3,(I) of the Armed Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.(NAN)
