Court releases eight teens allegedly involved in cultism

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday discharged eight teenagers allegedly belonging to a confraternity known as “Awawa’’ in Agege area of Lagos. Magistrate B.O. Osunsanmi discharged the teenagers for lack of diligent prosecution. The teenagers, aged from 13 to 19 years, were among those arrested in February 2016, by the Rapid Response Squad of the […]

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday discharged eight teenagers allegedly belonging to a confraternity known as “Awawa’’ in Agege area of Lagos.

Magistrate B.O. Osunsanmi discharged the teenagers for lack of diligent prosecution.

The teenagers, aged from 13 to 19 years, were among those arrested in February 2016, by the Rapid Response Squad of the state police command during a raid on criminals’ hideouts.

Osunsanmi warned the teenagers to refrain from criminal activities.

She urged parents and guardians to monitor their children and wards properly to prevent them from bad peer group influence.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Simeon Imhonwa, the teenagers were arrested following complaints from residents of Agege.

Counsel to some of the teenagers, Mr G.O Adesanya, said that the teenagers were picked up while returning from a party at dawn.

“They were arrested on mere sighting of tattoos on one of them. The police arrested them without proper investigations,” he said.