Lornke
Four students of Community Secondary School Nkpolu Oroworukwo in Mile 3 Diobu Port Harcourt were on Friday 19 November 2021 remanded in the custody of Nkpolu Divisional Police headquarters over charges bordering on cultism.
According to the charge sheet titled PMC 1478C, it read that “you Uchechi Okene ‘m’ aged 17; Hakeem Suleman ‘m’ aged 18; Sunday Progress ‘m’ aged 16 years and Nicholas Benson ‘m’ aged 16 years on the 17th day of November 2021 in Community Secondary School Nkpolu, Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt in Port Harcourt magisterial district did conspire to commit felony to wit: Cultism and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516(A) of the criminal code,Cap 37 Vol.11 laws of Rivers State of Nigeria”.
Count 11 read that “you Uchechi Okene ‘m’ Hakeem Suleiman ‘m’ Sunday Progress ‘m’ and Nicholas Benson ‘m’ on the same date and place at the aforesaid magisterial district did belong and are members of Deegbam Secret cult group and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(1) of the secret cult and similar activities prohibition N0 6 laws of Rivers State of Nigeria”.
The students were remanded in Police custody as Philipa Dike-Udenna, Chief Magistrate Grade 2 of Magistrate court 30 did not sit and they are to be arraigned properly on Monday 22, November 2021
Nkpolu Police Division Mile filed the case of cultism against the students without transferring the students to the Anti-cultism of the Nigeria Police as it is usually the process in cases of cultism.