The executive governor of Ogun State, Gov. Dapo Abiodun, stated on Tuesday that his administration would implement a law that would pronounce the death penalty on anyone caught engaging in cult activities in the state.
Abiodun made the remark at a meeting with the Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, and his chiefs at the Akarigbo Palace in Sagamu.
Abiodun expressed outrage at the wanton destruction of lives, properties, and peace in Sagamu and its surroundings, while also warning that the government would not stand by and let unscrupulous individuals run riots in any area of the state.
Abiodun said,” I want to sympathise with the good and law-abiding citizens of Sagamu and, of course, our referred paramount ruler, the kabiyesis, and all those who have lost loved ones.
“We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that we bring any person directly, indirectly, or remotely responsible for these occurrences to book. I have discussed with the Attorney General that perhaps it is our disposition that allows for these occurrences of heinous crimes.
“It is well within my powers as the governor of this state to pronounce the death penalty on people, and we are going to ensure that we enact that because when people appreciate and understand the consequences of their behaviours, perhaps they will begin to rethink.”
Abiodun noted that he has “called on the Commissioner of Police, the Director of the State Service, the Commander of the Civil Defence, our Amotekun Commander, and all our security architecture to relocate to Sagamu for this purpose.
“We will rely on our kabiyesis because they are the closest to the grassroots, for all the intelligence support because these people are not spirits. They live within us; they are tenants in our houses.
“The last time I came here, I said that any house that we arrest that is connected to either cultism or kidnapping, we will find out where they live and demolish that house. Sadly, it has been very difficult for me to implement because they rent an apartment, and the unsuspecting landlords who don’t know what they do give their houses to them, and after we arrest them and are about to demolish the house, those landlords will come and beg us that they did not know the suspects were into that business.
“I am now pronouncing that we will no longer refer to these people as cultists or by any other name. We are pronouncing them as murderers, and we will carry out punishments that are deserving of murderers.”
