Police arraign 3 pupils over alleged membership of secret cult.

Three secondary school pupils on Thursday appeared before the Ogbeson Chief Magistrate’s Court in Benin, charged with being members of an unlawful society.
The defendants: Aminu Rasak, 19, Chinedu Aduba, 14, and Eromosele Okonofua, 21, all students of Aduwawa Secondary School in Benin, were alleged to be members of the Baby Bird Secret Cult (Eiye Confranternity).

The Prosecutor, Insp. Abass Faruk, told the court that Rasak joined the Baby Bird Secret Cult (Eiye) sometimes in March 2018 at Aduwawa Secondary School in Benin.
Abass said that the second and third defendants (Aduba and Okonofua) were initiated into Eiye cult in the same Aduwawa Secondary School on Jan. 10, 2019 and sometime in August 2018, respectively.

He said that the offence committed contravened the 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.

If found guilty of the offence, the three defendants stand the risk of spending three-years in jail. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

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 that the surety must either be a parent or guardian, adding that all information must be verified by the court’s registrar.

The Chief Magistrate adjourned the case until June 2, for further hearing.