The Minace of Cultism in Nigeria Ivory Towers

THE MENACE OF CULTS AND CULTISM IN NIGERIA IVORY TOWERS
By Oluwagbemiga Akindeju

Writing on this dreaded phenomenon cult or cultism in our Universities, to some people, is like entering into a burning fire with an eyes open and it is exposing oneself to untimely and avoidable death. This is because cultists are known to be perpetrating evils such as murders, assaults rape, intimidation etc, hence it has becomes a ‘no-go area’ for anyone because of the deadly nature and the fact that cultism is a network, as a result there is no hiding place for their prey or target. Just as their philosophy ‘secrecy is a source power’ their plans and operations are carried out in secret.

Traditionally, fraternities or cultism were practiced all over the world. In most cases, they formed the peer group with the aim of encouraging character leadership training; interaction amongst peers and most often organize competition among the individual cults groups. Mostly the competitions were healthy ones for the social, moral and intellectual development of the groups. They are known to be non-violent, corrective and relevant to their immediate society. In Nigeria, the most noticeable fraternity then was the Ogboni Fraternity, which was also known to be non-violent but fearful because their operation was kept secret from people. As a result of the secrecy, they are regarded as secret societies. Despite this secrecy in operation however, they were still accorded due recognition and allowed to go on with their normal operations since they did not constitute menace in the society. This system was in operation until 1999 when the federal government clapped down on all secret society’s operation because of the confession made by Lawrance Anini, a notorious armed robber that he was a member of Ogboni Confraternity in Benin.

During their University days, Prof Wole Soyinka, the Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, and six others instituted the Pyrates Confraternity (PC) in 1953 in the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Their philosophy then was to respond to colonial influence, and fight against all forms of conventions and norms, especially the British culture as manifested in the governance of tertiary institutions. At that time it served the purpose it was meant for because those who constituted members were the intelligent and brilliant students on campus and then it was thus a channel for them to meet and strategies on how to fight all forms of colonialism. Today, however, this philosophy has been defeated, as the societies have turned to become a channel of mass destruction in Nigeria Universities. What we have in our Universities today is a far-cry and total departure from what Soyinka and his cohorts instituted, cultism has become a channel of perpetrating all forms of ills. The Confraternity has turn Universities; the citadel of learning into a place of warfare where student inflicts terrors on their fellow students and where dangerous arms and ammunitions were the weapons used in perpetrating such crimes.

Moreover, the Pyrate Confraternity of today has given birth to different groups. The identifiable ones include: Black Beret, Green Beret, Black Axe, Vikings, Buccaneers, Mafia, Dragon, Daughter of Jezebel, Black Cats, Twelve Disciples and Eiye Confraternity, to mention a few. Most times, rife between two groups degenerates to violence, which in turn lead to killing of innocent and harmless students on campus.

Furthermore, membership into the cult on campuses is usually carried out within the new intake of new set of students (fresher) especially from the rich background. These are the ones that have not been given the opportunity to associate freely while at home, these ones usually fall prey to joining the cult because of the promise to them by the gang that they will able to provide both social and educational securities during their stay on campus. These rich ones usually provide monetary backing for the group and they in turn are promised protection either their fellow student or even lecturers should they fail any course. While carrying their activities they may intimidate or harass the lecturers to get their desired scores or marks. It is believed that some were attracted to join because of the promise made to them by the gang that they will be able to engage in sexual promiscuity; while others seemed primarily intention of rebelling against conventional religiosity. Since more often than not they do engage in vodooism or spiritism, hard drugs and alcoholic beverages they therefore do not act reasonably. The reasons why students join cults are inexhaustible as it is noted that cult groups provide different benefits to their members and as such individuals have varying degrees of expectations and benefit from being a group member.

Nowadays, cultism on campus has now become a big business venture as politicians are engage them (cult) to oppress, intimidate, terrorize and in some occasions kill their opponects. The linkage of such political assassinations with campus cult has been widespread. It is alarming at the rate of campus cult participation in the political assassinations because of what is called estacode in cult language (caring for cultists’ financial needs). They have divided their operations into two; assassinations carried out by cult outside campuses are called “export” while those inside campus are coast/zone. Mr. Gbenga Adebayo (alias Fryo), a cultist in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, he made a controversial revelation that he was contracted by the then serving Osun State Deputy Governor, Otunba Iyiola Omisore to kill the former Attorney General of the federation, late Chief Bole Ige. It was also revealed that late Odunayo Olagbaju, Osun State lawmaker was a close friend to Fryo, reason being that he (Fryo) was a useful instrument of terror to Olagbaju’s political opposition, he (Olagbaju) then introduced Fryo to Omisore, who eventually helped them carried out ‘export” operation in the murder of Ige. This is to show how the campus cults are connected with Nigeria politicians.

Within the campuses, cultists have caused lot of gory incidence in the past years. In July 1999, for example, Obafemi Awolowo University recorded the worst experience as cultists attacked and killed five students including the students’ leader. The killing was terrible and barbaric that federal government had to banned cultism on campuses. Eventually the pronunciation by federal government led to mass renunciations of cultists between 1999 and 2000. In 2001 however, there was mass regrouping and recruitment of new members. Around this period, Mr. Babatunde Salau, students’ leader and five others in Lagos State University were murdered for their roles in anti-cultist crusade. The situation in LASU degenerated as the institution recorded more than twelve students that die of cult-related killing, it was terrible that even the residence of its environ could not sleep with their two eyes closed, hence, LASU was called terrorists’ zone.

In the same vein, Olabisi Onabanjo University is not left out as cults attack took place in several occasions. They attacked themselves and their fellow defenseless students, they perpetrated different kinds of crime such as rape, arson murder etc. Last year the school authority rusticated many students for their involvement in cult-related activities. The story is the same or even worst in other higher institution of learning in Nigeria. Universities in the Northern part of the country, has been recording relative calm in terms of cult activities, this, to some, was as a result of the Islamic religion injunctions, which according to them forbids joining the cult. This peace or calm was brokered in 2002 when cult menace erupted in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where 15 students were killed in an attacked carried out by a group suspected to be Vikings in retaliation for two of their members that were murdered in 2000. University, a venerable institution of higher learning today has turned to vulnerable institution where crimes have become daily activities.
Most recently, the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma was turned into horrorvasity as cultist attacked and killed one Osa Aigbovo, a final year Political Science student and another first year Engineering student of the same University. It was said that the sporadic gunshot by cultist held the environs hostage for several hours. The mayhem spawned by a long-drawn feud between the Eiye Confraternity and Black Axe Movement, two rival cult groups in the institution. Ekpoma has been known to be a haven for cultists within and outside the campus. A police report said that most cultists in the university often graduated to armed robbery gangs that perpetrate robbery activities in the state and its environs. The menace also raised its ugly head recently in University of Benin, Edo State as three students of the university were shot dead by the cultists.

Cultism act has become so formidable that they now operate inter-campus network. That is to say that when a particular cult group needs to operate in a particular campus, they use the networking means by engaging its members from other institutions thereby obscuring the identities of the assailants. The secret nature of these societies has made it very difficult to eradicate cultism on campuses. There have been reported cases of cultist’s apprehension over their involvement in cult-related offences but unfortunately that none of the cultists has been prosecuted and dealt with accordingly. This is so because most of the students are alleged to be children of highly placed individuals in the society and at the end, they will use their influence to get their children released. Mere rustication or dismissal of cult members is not the only solution. It is my opinion therefore that any student caught in cult-related activities should be sentenced to at least 15 years imprisonment. This will serve as a deterrent to other cult members and those who still nurse the idea of engaging in cultism. There should be awareness in other to inform them of the danger. This and other measures, if properly formulated, will curb the menace of cult activities in the Nation’s Ivory Tower.

The nation is faced with the problem of cultism and its devastating effects on the youth. Government and school authorities are worried over how to curb the menace. For this to become a reality, decisive steps and decisions must be taken which include proper training of the children at home by parents to let the children know the consequence of joining cults once on campus. Expulsion, arrest and prosecution of any cult member apprehended.