An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court has remanded 13 persons in prison for allegedly inciting public disturbance and belonging to a cult.
The Magistrate, Mr A. M. Ibrahim, who gave the order, said the accused should be kept behind bars until the next date of adjournment.
He also ordered that the community leader, who the police claimed reported the case, should appear in court at its next sitting.
The accused pleaded not guilty, saying they were arrested in front of their house.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Nasir Yusuf, told the court that on August 29, Mustapha Habeeb and 12 others were transferred from the divisional police headquarters at Adewole, Ilorin, to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for investigation.
Yusuf recalled that on August 28, a community leader, Alhaji Isiaka Subair of Isale Jagun, reported the incident at the police station.
He said the complainant reported that some boys with inscription of Badoo (a cult group) on some of their vests, assembled and started smoking hemp, thereby disturbing the peace of the community.
Yusuf added that immediately the police were alerted, the boys started throwing stones, bottles and shot the tyre of the police vehicle.
“The accused persons were arrested on the scene while others ran away,” he said.
The prosecutor said the community leader had testified against them at the police station that they were among the cult members disturbing the community.
The offences contravene sections 2, 97 and 114 of the Penal Code.
The matter was adjourned till September 7.