The Ogun State Government has proposed a new legislation that would hold members of unlawful societies criminally liable for offences committed by fellow members in furtherance of their group’s objectives, in a move aimed at tackling cult related violence and organised crime across the state.
The proposed legislation, known as the Group Liability for Offences of Violence, Extortion and Secret Societies Bill, otherwise called the GLOVES Bill, is one of four criminal justice reform bills approved by the Ogun State Executive Council for transmission to the Ogun State House of Assembly.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu.
According to him, the bills were carefully designed to address identified gaps in the state’s criminal justice system and strengthen public safety.
“We have come up with four bills, which the Executive Council approved last week that we should present to the House of Assembly for passage into law,” Ogungbade said.
Explaining the rationale behind the GLOVES Bill, the Attorney General said prosecutors often face difficulties securing convictions in cult related killings because suspects admit belonging to secret societies but deny direct involvement in crimes committed by other members.
He said, “Essentially, there are four and then these four have been carefully crafted to meet gaps which we have identified in the criminal justice system. The first one is what we know as the Group Liability for Offences of Violence, Extortion and Secret Societies Bill, which we have referred to as the GLOVES Bill.”
Ogungbade added, “What we seek to do with this bill is to have the law now hold every member of an unlawful society responsible for crimes committed, and this is important, in furtherance of the objectives of that unlawful society. So if you willingly take the oath of a secret society and you know the objectives, you can no longer hide under the fact that, ‘I am just a member, I did not participate in the killing.'”
He noted that cultism had evolved beyond tertiary institutions, spreading into communities and attracting artisans, traders and other categories of residents.
“Cultism has now moved beyond the walls of tertiary institutions, particularly in Ogun State. We now have artisans, bricklayers and vulcanisers becoming active members of cults, and experience has shown that they are even more deadly than those operating within the walls of tertiary institutions,” he said.
The Attorney General explained that the bill also introduces new evidential provisions that would allow prosecutors to rely on conduct such as the dissemination of cult propaganda or possession of cult related materials as evidence of membership.
“If you deliberately participate in dissemination of information or propaganda of an unlawful society, you cannot turn around to say, ‘I am not a member.’ If you are found in possession and distribution of paraphernalia of a secret society, you cannot claim not to be a member,” he stated.
Ogungbade said the proposed law contains safeguards to protect constitutional rights and was developed after studying international legal frameworks used to combat organised crime.
“There will be judicial interpretations, and we will, at the end of the day, get to the point where certain provisions will be upheld as being in compliance with the Constitution,” he said.
The Attorney General also announced plans to establish a Victims Support Office under the proposed Victims’ Rights Bill to provide psychological counselling, rehabilitation services and legal support for victims of crime.
“The beauty of this bill is the fact that we will now have a one stop office, domiciled in the Ministry of Justice, that will cater to the needs of victims,” he said.
He explained that the proposed legislation would guarantee victims the right to timely information on investigations and prosecutions, notification whenever suspects are granted bail or released, protection from intimidation, access to compensation and, for the first time, the opportunity to address the court after conviction but before sentencing.
“The victim will have a say. The victim can state exactly how he or she has been impacted by the conduct of the offender. That is also an innovation contained in this law,” Ogungbade said.
