Ekiti varsity killings: Assembly okays death penalty for cultists

The Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a law prescribing death penalty for anybody found guilty of engaging in cultism, while
also revising upward punishments for those aiding and abetting the practice.

The original bill was passed during the first tenure of Governor Ayo Fayose, but it was amended by the current lawmakers to accommodate
death penalty for convicted offenders from the previous seven-year imprisonment.

Punishment for people who aid or abet the crime of cultism was amended from five-year imprisonment to life imprisonment.

The House also passed the 2017 Revised Appropriation bill into law at plenary on the floor of the House, at the Assembly Chamber in Ado
Ekiti, the state capital.

The Secret Cult (Abolition and Prohibition) [Amendment] Bill, 2017 was introduced by the House Leader of Business, Akinyele Olatunji who
called the notice of the House to the incessant killing of students by suspected cultists at Ekiti State University (EKSU) in recent time.

He said Ekiti State was known for peace and that “we will not allow any group to turn it to death trap area.”

Speaker Kola Oluwawole, said “we cannot fold our arms while some people would constitute themselves to menace of eliminating the lives
of innocent people of this state.

“It is an everlasting sorrow for someone to lose his child or relative. The bill will reshape the lives of our youths. It will touch
those who intend to join any secret cults and those who have the intention to take another person’s life.

“Those people that we are representing will have peace of mind that their lives and those of their children are safe. The bill considers
very seriously the negative consequences of such action because of the irreparable loss of lives.”

Deputy Speaker, Olusegun Adewumi; Mrs. Titilayo Akerele,  Sina Animasaun, Dayo Akinleye, Mrs. Cecilia Dada and Samuel Omotoso, who
spoke in support of the bill said it was aimed at stopping killing of students “in the name of cultism.”

Another lawmaker, Afolabi Akanni, particularly, called the attention of members of the House to the activities of “Yahoo and 419 guys” who
he said wanted to turn Ekiti State to their hiding place.

He said security agencies should be awake to their duties over this menace.