21 Years Jail Term For Convicted Cultists In Lagos

The Lagos House of Assembly late Monday passed a bill banning the activities of cultists and related illegal societies across the state into a law.

The new law stipulates a 21-year imprisonment for anyone found guilty of engaging in cult activities. It also stipulates a 15-year jail term for anyone convicted of abetting cultists or who allows his premises to be used by cultists as a meeting place. 

After its passage, the Speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, directed the clerk of the House, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit the law to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent. Titled: ‘A law to provide for the prohibition of unlawful societies and cultism in Lagos state and for other connected purposes’, it says a society shall be regarded as unlawful if its members carry out illegal, destructive activities contrary to public policy, safety and peace of members of the public. 

Section 3 of the law states: “Any person who is a member of an unlawful society or cult, identifies as a member or solicits for members of an unlawful society or cult, attends a meeting of an unlawful society or cult whether as a member or an intending member of the unlawful society or cult commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 21 years imprisonment.”

 The jail term also concerns anyone who attends such meetings or does any illegal act which may probably cause a breach of peace, disturb public peace or conducts activities in such a manner a to pose a threat to life and property.