Suspected Cult Leaders Arraigned In Edo State

No fewer than 12 suspected cult leaders were on Tuesday arraigned before a special magistrate court sitting in Benin for their alleged involvement in recent cult killings in several areas of the state.

According to Punch,The Edo State Police Command also paraded and arraigned a total of 215 suspected criminals for cultism and various crimes such as murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms in various areas of the state.

It was learnt that the suspects were arraigned before Chief Magistrate F. O. Idiake on a "holden charge," to establish their alleged offences and be remanded in prison custody as the charges brought against the suspects were beyond the jurisdiction of the court.

The charges are holden charges that the Magistrate Court has no power to try. The issue of bail may not arise, the Police Prosecutor, Aigbodion Obakpolor, told journalists.

It will be recalled that the police had on May 14, 2015 announced the arrest of 56 "vicious cultists", among who were 11 "highly placed persons" and "ring leaders" of cult groups for their alleged connection with the killings, following the deployment of a Special Crack Squad to the state.

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Samuel Adegbuyi, told journalists during a press briefing at the Command’s headquarters in Benin that the suspects were arrested through the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase.

Adegbuyi said items such as short and long swords with cult symbols, an Eiye confraternity plague, two Neo-black Movement regalia were recovered from the suspected cult leaders.

The police commissioner further stated that 129 suspects had earlier been arraigned on June 2 and 3, 2015 while 98 others were arraigned on June 8, 2015, for criminal offences, on completion of police investigations.

He said, After the presidential election of March 28, the National and State Assembly elections respectively, we had challenges on the increase in crime waves, vis-a-vis cult-related cases, armed robbery, kidnapping, murder and other social vices.

All these challenges became worrisome; I had no choice but to call on the assistance of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, who swiftly drafted some MOPOL personnel from Delta and Anambra States as well as personnel from Federal (SARS) Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The synergy paid off and in the process a total of 227 suspects were arrested in connection with cultism, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms throughout Edo State.

One of the suspected cult leaders, who identified himself as Ernest Amadasun, had earlier told journalists that he and his colleagues were arrested during a meeting with the police commissioner after they were invited to assist the police with information on the cult-related killings.

Amadasun said, I am a member of the Neo-black Movement. It’s a Pan-Africanist group that fights for advocacy for the Black man.