5 suspected cultists remanded for allegedly setting police station ablaze in Kwara
Five suspected cultists were on Tuesday, remanded in Mandala Prison yard for allegedly setting a police station ablaze in Erin-Ile, Oyun Local Government Area, Kwara State.
The defendants; Oluwagbemiga Idowu, Azeez Yusuf, Ajibade Yusuf, Omotosho Isiaka and Lawal Wasiu were dragged before Magistrate Muhammed Ibrahim.
They were charged for criminal conspiracy, assault, obstructing public servant in discharging functions, voluntarily causing grievous hurt to debar public servant from duty, robbery, mischief by fire, attempted culpable homicide and being suspected members of secret cult contrary to section 97,265,148, 252, 298, 336, and 229 of penal code law, and section 2 punishable under section 14 of secret cult and secret societies (Prohibition) law, 2016.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), the suspects were arrested by Operation Harmony while conducting a stop and search exercise along the boundary between Offa and Erin-Ile.
The FIR stated that the defendants were arrested while others are at large.
One Niyi Abdullateef (aka ‘destiny’), Abula Abeeb and several others who were said to be at large allegedly conspired with the defendants to attack police officers with dangerous weapons and also attempted to dispossess them of their firearms.
The defendants were said to have mobilised themselves in a riotous manner and set some part of Erin-Ile police station ablaze and tore the Nigeria flag hoisted therein.
Police investigation also revealed that the defendants were on the verge of killing the station DPO before he narrowly escaped.
In his position over the issue, the prosecutor, Yusuf Nasir, urged the court to order the remand of the defendants in prison custody.
He noted that the offences of the defendants in not ordinarily bailable, saying police investigation over the matter is still ongoing.
He added that the defendants may jump bail and also commit similar offence if admitted to freedom.
The magistrate in his ruling ordered that the defendants should be remanded in Mandala Federal prison while the case was adjourned to 30th October, 2019.
