Edo Assembly passes bill that outlaws secret cult
The Edo State House of Assembly has successfully passed a bill that prohibits residents of the state from engaging in any act of cultism or harbouring known cultists.
The motion to pass the bill was raised by Majority Leader, Roland Asoro and supported by the Chief Whip, Iyoha Osaigbovo (APC-Oredo East) at the state House committee. The bill also conferred the police with the power to arrest suspected secret cult members without any warrant.
When the new law fully comes into effect, anyone found guilty of cultism will be sentenced to 21 years in prison while anyone harbouring a known cultist will equally receive a jail term of seven years.
In recent times, the states of Edo, Delta, Ogun and Lagos have been witnessing a rising prevalence of ritual killings and cultism, which is mostly carried out by desperate youths who engage in the practice in a bid to get rich quick.
This ugly trend has led to the murder of several innocent people whose body parts are harvested for ritual sacrifices.
Among the states affected the most, Edo seems to be the only one that has sought to enact laws that will outlaw such practice.
It is expected that the new law will serve as a deterrent to perpetrators of ritual acts and cultism, thereby making the state safer.
