After nearly eight years of legal proceedings, the Kwara State High Court has convicted a notorious cult leader, Bolakale Bayero, along with five other individuals. They were each sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for offenses linked to cultism and related criminal activities.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Adenike Akinpelu after more than two hours of proceedings, bringing to a close one of the state's longest-running criminal trials involving alleged members of the Eiye Secret Cult confraternity.
Those convicted alongside Bayero were identified as Ibrahim Olatunde Elijah, Habeeb Azeez, Sikiru Jimoh, Yinka Alabi, and Akeyde Ahmed. The six defendants had faced an 11-count charge, including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, membership of unlawful secret societies, disturbance of public peace, mischief, and attempted culpable homicide.
The charges were filed under the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, the Penal Code, and the Kwara State Secret Cults and Secret Societies Prohibition Law of 2016. At the start of the trial, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges, leading to a full trial that stretched over several years.
During the hearing, the prosecution team, led by Zakari Issa, Chief State Counsel, called six witnesses and presented 14 exhibits. In her verdict, Justice Akinpelu held that the prosecution successfully proved the offenses of cultism, mischief, and disturbance of public peace against the convicts, but failed to establish other allegations, including attempted culpable homicide.
The court subsequently discharged the defendants of the charges that were not sufficiently proven. The judge noted, "The fact that there is no record of any previous case against them, it is however hoped that the period they’ve spent in detention is enough of a lesson for them."
Justice Akinpelu further directed that the years already spent in custody by the convicts should be deducted from their jail terms.
