There has been a mass arrest of 106 youths including minors by the police for cultism in Bayelsa State. However, some parents and guardians in the state have kicked following the incident.
According to The Nation, the police further caused controversy by their decision to arraign 58 of the suspects at the state High Court on two-count of conspiracy and membership of cult groups.
The suspects including four minors were rounded up when a police squad raided some black spots in the capital city, Yenagoa.
The court presided over by Justice Naiyi Aganaba, was however, said to have granted bails to the accused persons and asked them to show proofs of innocence and non-membership of the cults.
As part of conditions for their bails, the court reportedly asked them to provide N100,000 each, sureties who must be senior civil servants from grade level seven and resident in Yenagoa.
Justice Aganaba, adjourned the case to October, 20, 2016.
But angry parents of the arraigned suspects protested outside the court premises, accusing the police of illegal arrest of innocent people.
A parent, who identified himself as Kelvin, said his son was arrested few metres away from their home while on errand to buy a loaf of bread.
“When I accosted the policemen after I heard my son scream for help, the police threatened to shoot me dead. They asked me what my son was doing outside after 8pm”, he said.
Another woman, who claimed to be wife to one of the suspects, said her husband was arrested few minutes after their newborn’s dedication at home.
He said: “He was accompanying a guest who attended the dedication event to the bus stop when he was arrested.
“All pleas and explanations we made to the police fell on deaf ears. How do I bail him when we just spent money on hospital bill for the new baby’s delivery and dedication?”
Also some members of the the Hausa community in Yenagoa, who joined the protest said over 32 Hausa persons were among the suspects arrested by the police.
They said 12 of them including four minors were among the persons brought to the court.
“Most of them were operators of commercial tricycles known as Keke Napep”, they said.
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