Osun State Police Command on Wednesday arrainged some of the notorious ‘Apete Isagba’ cult members terrorising Ede town, before a Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo over alleged armed robbery and murder.
Five of the defendants, Serifu Kasali, Sefiu Alabi, Tirimisiyu Nureini, Taiwo Kareem and Mukaila’s Raji were alleged of killing two persons Omoniyi Olukunle and Tajudeen Lukman by shooting them with a gun in Ede contrary to section 319(1) of the state penal code.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Elisha Olusegun disclosed the five accused persons intended to kill Surajudeen Kareem and Yinusa Sherif by shooting them in the tummy contrary to section 320 of the state criminal law.
The accused persons were majorly in their 20s except 61 years old Raji Mukaila’s and a female teenager, Mariam Later, 19, who was arrainged for being a member of the cult and malicious damage.
The prosecutor also said the five male defendants set ablaze the property of one Quadri Adeleke including a television, a DVD player, a cable television decoder and household chairs, an offence contrary to section 451 of the state criminal law.
He added that the alleged cultist were involved in several armed robbery attack on different individuals in Ede, contrary to Section 1(1)(2)(a)(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap RII Vol. 14 laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Elisha added that the defendants committed the offences between May 12 and 14 2020 in Ede, Osun state except malicious damage which was committed on May 18, 2020 at about 1pm in the same town.
The five defendants who were arraigned on 13 counts pleaded not guilty on counts 11 and 13 which involved the teenage girl while their plea were not taken on all the other charges due to the nature of the alleged crimes.
Defense counsel, Okobe Najite urged the court to admit the defendants to bail in the most liberal terms.
However, the Presiding Magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara denied the application, urging the counsel to apply for bail formally and eventually ordered that the defendants should be remanded in Ilesa correctional facility till July 8, 2020 for ruling on bail.
Vanguard
Leave a Reply