A high court in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, has sentenced 19 students to six years imprisonment each for cultism.
According to NAN, Umar Fadawu, the judge, on Wednesday, held that there was sufficient evidence proving that each of the defendants committed the offence of conspiracy and management/membership of an unlawful society.
The convicts had earlier been arrested by the police on September 21 in a hotel in Maiduguri.
It was gathered that they were members of an unlawful society named Neo Black Movement and also called Black Axe.
Faduwu considered a plea from some of the convicts and Ahmed Hamman, their counsel, who pleaded for leniency.
He then sentenced the convicts to six years each on each of the two counts without the option of a fine.
The convicts are Arnold Augustine, Onu Chiduben, David Emmanuel, Awuto Abayomi, Mustapha Abulkadir, Levi Ephraim, Onuebu Godspower Chibuzor, Ben Oni, and Yakubu Chiroma.
Others are Mohammed Adamu, Calvin Ijafiya, Henry Michael Ujah, Chris Kallu, Totsi Samuel, Onwuka Ugochukwu, Audi Yohana, Samuel Talba, Donald Omguze and Joseph Olaiya.
According to the judge, the prison terms will run concurrently starting from October 20, 2021.
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