Teenagers charged with in cult membership in Makurdi

A Makurdi Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday remanded three teenagers – Terngu Tse, Akaa Samuel and Samuel Gawon – for alleged conspiracy and membership of an unlawful society.

Tse, Samuel and Gawon, aged 19, 19 and 18, respectively, appeared before the Magistrate, Mrs Adah Jack, who did not take their pleas.

Jack ordered that they should be kept at the Makurdi custodial facility pending conclusion of investigation in the case.

She adjourned the case until Oct. 4 for mention.

The prosecutor, Insp Regina Ishaya, told the court that the teenagers were arrested by a police patrol team – Operation Dragon – in Makurdi Town on Aug. 31.

Ishaya said that the teenagers, all of whom resided at Yagba North Bank, Makurdi, were brought to the state Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi, with a bag containing two axes.

The prosecutor said that Tse and Samuel claimed ownership of the axes, adding that the defendants confessed to membership in the Black Skull Confraternity.

The prosecutor had told the court that an investigation was ongoing in the case.

She said that the offences contravened Section 97 of the Penal Code Law of Benue State, 2004, and Section 11 (2) of the Abduction, Hostage-Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult, and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law of Benue State, 2017.