A 22-year-old scavenger, Awalu Garba, on Thursday appeared in a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly belonging to a secret cult called “Arobaga”.
The police charged Garba, who resides in Ajegunle area of Lagos, with two counts of conspiracy and belonging to an unlawful society.
The Prosecution Counsel, Sgt. Godwin Oriabure, the defendant committed the offence on July 13, at 2 a.m. in Tolu area of Gbagada, Lagos.
He alleged that the defendant was a member of an unlawful society, called “Arobaga”.
“The police got information of an initiation gathering of the members of the secret society, where the defendant was arrested.
“My lord, the defendant and his group have been terrorising Gbagada neighbourhood for years,” he alleged.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 42 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
NAN reports that Section 42 prescribes a three-year jail term for the offence of belonging to an unlawful society while 411 attracts two years jail term.
Magistrate S.O. Obasa admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Obasa ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relation to the defendant and that both sureties should be gainfully employed.
She adjourned the case until Sept. 2 for mention.
