Lagos: Court sends four cultists to prison over murder, arms possession

• Magistrate O. Y. Adefope of a Yaba Magistrates’ Court ordered his remand on Monday after he was arraigned
• Junior was arraigned on five counts of murder, membership of an unlawful society and armed robbery

One John Junior has been remanded at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre over murder.

The 21-year-old was remanded for the alleged murder of one Kehinde Sule on Apapa Road, in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State.

Magistrate O. Y. Adefope of a Yaba Magistrates’ Court ordered his remand on Monday after he was arraigned.

Junior was arraigned on five counts of murder, membership of an unlawful society and armed robbery.

According to the prosecutor, Haruna Magaji, who held a brief for Chekwube Okeh, the defendant, a member of the Aiye Confraternity, and his co-cult members attacked Sule, popularly known as ‘Seigo’, by using an axe to stab him on the head and stomach.

The charges read in part, “That you, John Junior, and others now at large on March 17, 2023, around 9.30 pm, at Apapa Road, Ebute Metta Lagos, in the aforesaid magisterial district did unlawfully and intentionally kill one Kehinde Sule, aka Seigo by using axe to stab him on his head and stomach and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 222 (1)a)(b) and punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

The prosecutor told the court to remand the defendant pending the outcome of the legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Granting the request, Adefope remanded the defendant to the Ikoyi Custodial Centre and adjourned the case till September 28, 2023.

Also, three suspected cultists have been remanded to the Kirikiri Custodial Centre for allegedly possessing firearms.

The suspects, Solomon Samuel, Ibrahim Mohammed and Moses Ogundepo, were arraigned on Monday before a Magistrates’ Court sitting in the Yaba area for unlawful possession of firearms and membership of unlawful societies, Aiye and Alora Fraternities.

The prosecutor, Thomas Nurudeen, told the court that the defendants were arrested at Ojumola Street, Shomolu, and Ajegunle respectively, adding that one locally-made single-barrel gun and one expended cartridge were found in their possession.

Adefope, holding a brief for Patrick Nwaka, ordered that the defendants be remanded for 30 days and file sent to the office of the DPP for legal advice and adjourned the case till September 28, 2023