20th November, 2021
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Four students of Community Secondary School, Nkpolu Oroworukwo in Mile 3 Diobu area of Port Harcourt were on Friday remanded in the custody of Rivers police command for allegedly belonging to Deegbam Secret cult gang.
The students, Uchechi Okene, 17, Hakeem Suleman, 18, Sunday Progress, 16, and Nicholas Benson, 16, years on the 17th were alleged to be members Deegbam Secret cult, an offence punishable under section 2(1) of the secret cut and similar activities prohibition N0 6 laws of Rivers State of Nigeria”.
The charge sheet made available to our Correspondent with number PMC 1478C reads: “that you Uchechi Okene ‘m’ aged 17,Hakeem Suleman ‘m’ aged 18,Sunday Progress ‘m’ aged 16 years and Nicholas Benson ‘m’ aged 16 years on the 17th day of November 2021 in Community Secondary School Nkpolu, Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt in Port Harcourt magisterial district did conspire to commit felony to wit:Cultism and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516(A) of the criminal code ,Cap 37 Vol.11 laws of Rivers State of Nigeria.
The second Count charge reads, “That you Uchechi Okene, Hakeem Suleiman, Sunday Progress and Nicholas Benson on the same date and place at the aforesaid magisterial district did belong and are members of Deegbam Secret cult group and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(1) of the secret cut and similar activities prohibition N0 6 laws of Rivers State of Nigeria”.
The students were remanded in Police custody as Mr. Philipa Dike-Udenna, the Chief Magistrate of the court did not sit.
However, the students are to be arraigned properly on Monday 22,November 2021.
Our correspondent observes that Nkpolu Police Division Mile filed the case of cultism against the students without transferring them to the Anti-cultism Unit of the State Police Command as it is usually the process in cases of cultism.