Cultists in Lagos State now risks a 21-year jail term if convicted, the law to that effect has been signed by the state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The governor signed the anti-cultism bill named the “Prohibition of Unlawful Societies and Cultism of 2021” on Monday in the State House, Alausa.
The signed law aims to combat cultism in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos State by giving stiffer punishments to convicted cultists and those encouraging them.
While there is a 21-year jail term for the convicted cultists there’s a 15-year jail time for those found guilty of abetting cultism.
“I signed the bill for the Prohibition of Unlawful Societies and Cultism of 2021 into law today. The law sets a 21-year jail term for convicted cultists in the State. The anti-cultism law also stipulates a 15-year jail term for anyone found guilty of abetting cultists,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said shortly after signing the bill.
“This law repeals the Cultism (Prohibition) Law of 2007 (now Cap. C18, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015) and provides for more stringent punitive measures, and is applicable to the public, as against the restriction of the previous law to students of tertiary institutions,” he said in a tweet.
The Lagos State House of Assembly in February passed the Anti-cultism bill which also stipulates a 15-year jail term for those who yield their properties to be used by cultists.
By Abel Ejikeme
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