On March 15, 2021 Sanwo-Olu Mr Babajide, the present Governor of Lagos State Approved A 21-Year Jail Sentence for Cultists having been declared guilty of a criminal offence by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge In Lagos
The House of Assembly of the State, in February, passed the anti-cultism bill, which also specifies a 15-year jail sentence for anyone found guilty of aiding and abetting cultists as well as inhabitants who deliberately allow their properties to be utilised as meeting points by cultists.
According to a statement on Monday, Sanwo-Olu agreed to the bill and three others at the swearing-in occasion for recently nominated members of the Public Procurement Agency Governing Board of the state and two Permanent Secretaries held at the Banquet Hall in the State House, Alausa, on Monday.
At the occasion, the Governor also signed the Lagos State Audit Service Commission (Amendment) Law of 2019, Lagos State Public Procurement Bill of 2021, and Coronavirus Pandemic Emergency Law of 2021.
The statement further said,
“The anti-cultism 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, as well as makes its application all-encompassing and applicable to the general public, as against the restriction of the previous law to students of tertiary institutions.”
Sanwo-Olu said,
“The State had suffered the negative effects of unlawful societies and cultism”, emphasising that “the new law seeks to make parents more responsible and show more interest in the upbringing of their children and wards to ensure that they do not become a burden to the society”.
What Is Cultism?
Cultism is the activities or practices of a group of people with one common spiritual, religious or philosophical belief.
The group of individuals involved in these practices is known as a cult.
Cultism is so rampant in schools all over the world, it is known to be at its peak in tertiary institutions, but it is no more news that it has expanded its territories to secondary schools and even primary schools as we speak.
Cultism in Nigeria is caused by different factors which include quests for power, poor parental training, wealth, drug abuse among others.
