A 21-year-old student of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara state, Emeke Nwokobia has been charged before an Ilorin Magistrates' Court for alleged mischief and being a member of a cult.

The accused was arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, mischief and being member of a cult.

Police First Information Report (FIR) stated that Nwokobia was allegedly hired by some disqualified candidates to disrupt student's union election of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, on July 20.

The institution's Independent Electoral Committee was said to have disqualified some candidates for various posts "because they had less than 2.5 Cumulative Grade Points (CGP), which is the cut off point for candidates".

Police prosecutor Jimoh Abdulkareem told the court that the accused and others now at large, caused pandemonium in the premises of the institution and vandalised some vehicles.

Abdulkareem said that they shot several rounds of live cartridge into the air to cause unnecessary panic and apprehension in the school.

He added that investigation conducted at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) revealed that the accused and the others committed the offence.

"The accused person belongs to Eiye Confraternity that specialises in carrying out dastardly activities", the prosecutor said.

The plea of the accused was, however, not taken as the court said that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Abdulkareem opposed bail for the accused on the ground that the alleged offences do not attract bail.

He urged the court to remand the accused, adding that the accused might jump bail if granted having known the gravity of the offence.

Mr Ferdinard Ujwuama, counsel to the accused person, had made an oral application for the bail of his client on a very liberal term.

He said the accused would not jump bail and would provide reliable sureties with any conditions given by the court.

He stressed that an accused person was presumed innocent until the contrary was proved, adding that remanding the accused would amount to pre-trial punishment.

Magistrate Adam Bello granted the accused bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He added that one of the sureties must be Igbo doing business in Ilorin with an evidence of owning an estate.

Bello said that the second surety must be either of the parents of the accused person, and adjourned the case to Aug. 22, for further mention.