PORT HARCOURT — A youth in Rivers State has voluntarily handed over a fully loaded sniper rifle to the state Ministry of Youth Affairs saying he was tired of cult activities.
This occurred hours after Governor Peter Odili signed the Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Bill 2004 into law which, among other things, prescribes a ten-year jail term for anyone convicted of secret cult activities.
Prior to the passing of the Bill into law by the state House of Assembly and the subsequent signing of the Bill into law by the Governor, the Governor had made an appeal to youths engaged in criminal acts to hand over the weapons in their hands to government voluntarily and earn a reward.
Briefing newsmen at Government House, Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Mr. Barry Mpigi said his ministry received a fully-loaded sniper rifle from a youth who lamented that he was tired of cult activities.
His words: “this morning, the Ministry of Youth Affairs received this rifle from a cultist voluntarily and this cultist said he is tired of cult activities and that he needs the protection of government. This sniper rifle was received with the complete set of bullets right in it,” he said.
He disclosed that government has earmarked between N10,000 to N100,000 for any cultist who returns his arm, adding that the amount of money is dependent on the quality and sophistication of such arms.
“Government is working out rehabilitation programmes for any cultist that will surrender his arms. My office is open, I don’t have any policeman attached to me. We also have in the 23 Local Government Areas Youth Development Officers attached to the Council Chairmen; they are free to surrender at those points if they cannot go to the police. We are ready to receive the arms and the reward and other benefits will be given out to such persons immediately,” he added.
Rivers assembly outlaws cultism
The law, which sets a 10-year jail term for defaulters, was passed by all the 22 legislators in session.
The assemblymen described the law as timely owing to the current level of violence instigated by cultism.
An ad-hoc committee, headed by Mr Charles Nsiegbe, which conducted public hearing on the bill, said memoranda were received from many individuals and organisations.
Sections 1, 2 and 4 of the adopted bill prescribe a 10-year jail term for secret cult members or those who support cult activities.
Section 3 (c) provides that owners of buildings used for such activities have committed an offence and will be jailed for five years without an option of fine provided he or she was aware of the activities.
It also stipulates that public places, such as brothels and night clubs, used for cult activities in the state will be closed and subsequently confiscated if it is established that the owners were aware and conscious of the issue.
