The police in Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east, say they’ve arrested and detained a 22-year-old boy over an alleged cult-related murder of a Nigerian man, Okeke Nnamdi.
The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a press release on Sunday.
Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, recognized the suspect as Bright Adiene.
The spokesperson stated Mr Nnamdi’s murder occurred in Owerri and was reported on Saturday.
“The suspect is at present in police custody, whereas efforts are ongoing to apprehend one Anyima, who can be related with the incident.
“Investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify all those involved,” he stated.
Strengthening safety in Imo
Mr Okoye stated, in response to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, convened a strategic safety assembly on Sunday with space commanders, divisional law enforcement officials, and tactical Team Commanders.
The spokesperson stated the commissioner met with the police chiefs to evaluate the safety scenario and strengthen operational methods throughout the state.
“Following the meeting, operational commanders were directed to intensify intelligence-led operations, conduct targeted raids on identified criminal hideouts, strengthen patrols in security hotspots, and respond promptly to emerging threats,” he stated.
According to the assertion, Mr Bosso additionally directed police chiefs to work extra carefully with group leaders, youth teams, and different stakeholders to enhance intelligence gathering and stop additional violence.
The commissioner urged mother and father and guardians to watch their kids’s actions and associations, discourage involvement in cultism, and promptly report related data to safety companies.
He warned that anybody discovered to be concerned in cult-related violence can be prosecuted.
The police chief urged residents to stay calm, vigilant, and law-abiding, and to offer data that might help ongoing investigations and different safety operations.
Prohibited in Nigeria
Cultism, also referred to as secret societies, is outlawed in Nigeria.
The legal guidelines differ state by state. Imo is among the many states which have but to enact its personal anti-cultism legislation.
However, the south-eastern state depends on federal legal guidelines that criminalise cultism to prosecute offenders.
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Section 62 of the Criminal Code Act, as an illustration, outlawed participation in or membership of any cult group in Nigeria.
The part prescribes as much as three years’ imprisonment for offenders upon conviction.
Like cultism, murder can be unlawful in Nigeria.
Murder is particularly outlawed in Section 315 (6) of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act.
Offenders, on conviction, face a loss of life sentence, Section 319 (1) stated.
Several individuals have been sentenced to loss of life for murder throughout the nation.
An Aiyetoro High Court in Ogun State, as an illustration, sentenced a person, Adelake Bara, to loss of life by hanging in June 2022, for taking pictures and killing one Olaleye Oke.
A excessive court docket in Lokoja, Kogi State, in January 2022, additionally sentenced a person, Muritala Dare, to loss of life by hanging for stabbing his colleague to loss of life with a damaged bottle.
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