Kwara govt raises concern over transfer of suspected cultists to Abuja

The Kwara State Government has expressed concern about the way and manner four suspected cult members were transferred from the state police command to Abuja.

Speaking to newsmen at the end of an emergency Security Council meeting at the Government House, Ilorin, the Director of Public Persecution (DPP), Mr Jimoh Adebimpe Mumini, said the offences are state-based and triable under the state laws.

The DPP who wondered why four out of the seventeen accused persons were transferred to Abuja observed that there were some notorious cases of cultism that have been successfully prosecuted in the state.

He said he was of the belief that the four suspected cultists being transferred to Abuja, possibly for further interrogation, will be returned to the state where the offence was committed for trial.

According to him, "we had cases of notorious and dangerous killers in the state which have been handled in the state. Our hope is that the Nigeria Police Force will return the four accused persons to the state for trial".

Also speaking, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Leke Ogungbe, said the state’s Security Council hopes that the transfer issue is not politically motivated.

“As a government, we are made to understand that the offences for which the accused persons were arrested are state offence. We’re now surprised that four of the accused were transferred to Abuja. We hope that no political gain is intended".