The House of Representatives has passed the Secret Cult and Secret Society Prohibition Bill which makes it a constitutional offence for any person to form join or take part in any activity of a secret cult. Anybody that violates that offence faces two years imprisonment or fine of N250,000.
The lower chamber passed the bill yesterday, thus making it the first bill to be passed into law by the House this year.
The bill sponsored by Hon. Jerry Ogokwe (Anambra) and presented to the House by the House Committee on Judiciary will now be forwarded to the Senate for final consideration before it is sent to the President for his accent.
According to the provisions of the bill which has ten clauses 'Any person who contravenes the provisions of this Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a minimum term of imprisonment of two years or maximum of five years or to a fine of N250,000 or to both imprisonment and fine."
The bill defined secret society to include "cult or any society, association, group or body of persons (whether registered or not) that uses secret signs, oaths, rites or symbols and which is formed to promote a cause, the purpose or part of the purpose of which is to foster the interest of its members and to aid one another under any circumstance, without merit, fair play or justice, to the detriment of the legitimate interest of those who are not members."
"The membership of which is incompatible with the function of dignity of any public office under the constitution (of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and whose members are sworn to observe oaths of secrecy; or the activities of, which are not known to the public at large the names of whose members, are kept secret and whose meetings are held in secret."