Four students of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi were on Friday arraigned before a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court for allegedly initiating a student, Matthias Aboje, forcefully into cultism.
The students, Gabriel Aduluju, Livinus Okwoba, John Otoga and Kenneth Ogbudu, were charged with criminal conspiracy and belonging to unlawful society.
The Prosecuting Officer, Insp. Gabriel Agbadu, told the court that the case was transferred from ‘C’ Division Police station, Makurdi, on Jan 30, 2017, to the State CID via a letter for discreet investigation.
Agbadu said that in his letter dated Jan. 28, Aboje, a student of the institution, told the police the police that the accused persons conspired and forced him into joining their cult group.
He said that the offence is punishable under Sections 97 and 99 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue State, 2004.
Agbadu told the court that the accused persons subsequently were arrested for committing the crime.
The prosecutor informed the court that investigation into the matter was still in progress and asked for another date for mention.
The accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the charges against them when the case came up for mention.
Counsel to the accused persons, Mr Emmanuel Omini, applied for bail of his clients with a promise that they would not jump bail.
However the prosecutor opposed the bail application, arguing that the lives of both the complainant and the IPO would be in danger if they were granted bailed.
Omini however, dismissed the prosecutor’s concern, saying the reasons he adduced for opposing bail application were not tenable.
The Magistrate, Mrs Felicia Ikyegh granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N50, 000 each and a surety each in like sum and adjourned the case till March 29, 2017 for further mention.
