BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
An 18-year-old suspected cultist, Yusuf Basit, has been arrested by the Osun State Police Command for allegedly conscripting others into a secret cult called the Awawa Confraternity in the state.
A police source informed The Point that Basit got introduced to the secret society while living in Lagos State. He reportedly introduced other youths, who are now at large, to the secret society on arrival in Osun State sometime in October this year.
It was gathered that Basit was arrested as a result of a strange mark on his forehead, which was discovered to be one of the trademarks of the secret cult.
Upon completion of investigation, Basit was docked at a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, over his alleged membership of an unlawful society and breach of public peace.
The charges against the defendant read that “Yusuf Basit and others now at large, on October 30 at about 12pm, along Ibokun Road, Oke-Baale area, Osogbo did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit being members of an unlawful society.
“Basit and others at large did engage in an unlawful society known as Awawa Confraternity (a secret cult) and did conduct yourselves in a manner capable of causing breach of peace at the same time, place and date.”
Police prosecutor, Inspector Akintunde Jacob, said that the accused teenage person committed offences contrary to and punishable under Sections 516, 64(a), and 517 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the three counts preferred against him. The defence counsel, T. O. Idowu, applied for bail for Basit, stating that he was presumed as innocent until proven otherwise.
However, the prosecutor urged the court not to grant the accused person bail, saying that releasing Basit on bail would jeopardise the chances of the police in arresting the fleeing members of the cult. According to him, Awawa is known as one of the deadly cult groups in Lagos State.
The defence counsel, while reacting, prayed the court to discountenance the objections by the prosecutor on the ground that they were baseless and unknown to law.
Magistrate A. O. Odeleye granted the accused person bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum. The surety, he said, must be an owner of landed property in Osogbo and must be a blood relative to Basit.
The matter was adjourned till December 14 for mention.
