INTRODUCTION
A secret cult can be defined as an organization of which people
come together to pledge their allegiances, under an oath and have a social bond
of commitment and dedication for the good of the organization. Their activities
are kept secret- thus the name “secret cult”, and kept away from other members
of the society or non-members of the group. Secret cults carry out their
meetings when people are not aware of, especially during the odd-hours and far
away from residencies. This act is cultism and someone who practices
it is a cultist.
Cultism: The Oxford Advanced
Learner's Dictionary defined cult as a small group of people who have
extreme religious beliefs and who are not part of any
established religion.
Secret
Cult: Ogunade (2002) defined a secret cult as an enclosed
organized association or group devoted to the same cause.
It is an enclosed group having an
exclusive sacred ideology and a series of rites centering
around their sacred symbols. Secret cult is a terminology coined
by a former Military Head of State- Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida between
1983
-1984.
Before this period, these gangs had always been referred
to as fraternities. The members of the cult, according to
Ogunade (2002) commit themselves to oath and allegiance, which
serves as their strong bond. This group of people is always
violent when defending their course.
Secret Societies: Maquet (1971) defined secret societies as close associations, guilds, and cult groups with
closed membership. These societies
are 'fraternities' established by a conjunction of purposeful intentions with a view to achieving specific
ends. They are branded
'secret' partly because only few people with a special knowledge or interest can understand them.
Offiong (1939), explained
further that the societies make use of particular rituals, signs, symbols and forms of knowledge
which are withheld from
non-initiates, and these things are regarded as a special source of power though being kept private.
There
are many secret cults in Nigeria and they are not restricted
to any particular place in the country. They are found among the various
ethnic groups. They have been in existence since the
pre-colonial period in Nigeria. Some of them have now been
reformed. Ogunade (2002) categorised them into three groups:
religious secret societies, semi-religious secret societies and anti-social
secret societies.
Secret
cults are rampant in schools all over the world. It was known to be at its peak
in tertiary institutions but it is no more news that have expanded their
territories to secondary and even primary schools. This social vice is eating
up the educational and moral standard of students. Innocent ones are being
lured into the vice and other social vices such as drug abuse, armed robbery,
murder etc.
HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT OF CULT
ACTIVITIES
IN THE NIGERIAN HIGHER
INSTITUTIONS
Ogunade
(2002) asserted that secret cults in the Nigerian higher
institutions started as fraternities with the sole aim
of maintaining law and order in the campuses. This is a role
performed by secret societies in the adult communities. The
cults were in existence with the aim of addressing acts of injustice,
victimization and other issues capable of disturbing the
peaceful atmosphere of the institutions. One of the ways by which
they achieve their aims is through their various publications where they
expose various vices in the campuses.
In
1952, the Pirates Confraternity (also known as Seadogs) was formed at the
University of Ibadan as a protest student group. According to
Adigwu (1999) the students' protests were against the coat and attitude of
sigma.
The Pirate, being the first known social club in any Nigerian University,
saw their mode of dressing as typical example of colonial mentality and
therefore adopted a motto "sworn enemies of convention” a
position which portrayed them as a radical students' group.
The group also acted as a corrective organ of students' union.
In this
regard, being disciplinary in nature, they fought against all forms of
injustice perpetuated either by the University authority or by the
students' union government.
The" Pyrates Confraternity, with their
clarion greetings of Ahoy, dominated the University scene for
twenty years before the emergence of the Buccaneers Confraternity
(also known as Sea lords) in 1972. Adigwu (1999) confirmed
that every prominent Nigerian student by then belonged to the Pyrate
Confraternity
and their presence was felt in all the nooks and crannies of the society.
They have the seven ladder blades of the Confraternity, which
serve as their moral code. for example, 'leap before yap' teaches members of
the Confraternity
the importance of thinking before action. There actions and mannerisms are all
symbolical and imitation of the Pyrates of the Treasure
Island saga. To show the importance of the Pyrates then, the
University of Ibadan registered the Confraternity as a student
Confraternity.
In
1960, a group known as the '"Eiye" Fraternity emerged
in the University of Ibadan and was subsequently registered by the authority
as a cultural association. 'Eiye'. bird in Yoruba language is
otherwise known as "Airlords' and adapted a
motto- '"No feather," ''No bird" and an insignia of ''No love", "No peace".
The members adopted the names of different kinds of birds (Adigwu, 1999).
The
"Eiye" Confraternity was formed to preserve Yoruba
culture as regards the traditional ways of healing and making
things happen spiritually. According to Ogunlusi {2003),
it
was the opinion of the founding founders of the Pyrates Confraternity that
being a graduate should not prevent a Yoruba man from
"talking" to "ogere a fi oko yeri" (mother earth)
to spew forth water with fish swimming in it even in the desert
or to talk to a dying child to come back to life by talking to it through its
ears, or by performing the duty of a midwife where there is no maternity by
"talking" to the recalcitrant baby to
come out to the world and spare the life of its mother.
In the 60s and 70s, the Pyrate and
"Eiye" Confraternities were not noted for violence.
They socialize freely with their fellow students. The members
were intelligent and easy going. They were brilliant youths who professed their
faith
with. Extreme eagerness without trampling on the fundamental rights of their
colleagues and members of the
public. They never displayed the
level of crudity and barbarity that has become the vogue
among
the cultists of the present day Nigeria. The history of the University of
Ibadan, according to Adigwu (1999) shows that the bulk of the
first class and second class upper honours students are
usually found among these groups of students. He claimed that the
first seven founders of Buccaneers are all Ph.D holders. Research
shows that
the Confraternity has about twenty four Ph.D holders, two hundred
and fifty Masters degree holders and about seven hundred and ninety First
Degree holders with about 78 Lawyers (Adigwu. 1999).
The Pyrates have also done well in academics. Apart from
having
the first Nobel Laurete from Africa, they produced distinguished
academicians all around the globe. The two groups have their
students Magazines- The Pyrates published the "Scorpion
Magazine" while the Buccaneers published the "Water
Serpent Magazine". The University of Ibadan saw the Confraternities as
part of
the University tradition. For example, the University provided
the Confraternities with trucks and some amount of money for their drinks. They
actually made the Rag days" colourful.
In the Nigerian Universities of today and in
other tertiary
institutions, there is now a drastic change. This started in
1982 with the emergence of the Black Axe Movement (also known
as the New Black Movement) from the University of Benin.
TYPES
AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRESENT
DAY
CULTS IN CAMPUSES
There
are many types of cults in the Nigerian tertiary institutions as of today.
From the University of Benin, there emerged in the 80's the
Black Axe Movement. From the University of Ife, there emerged the Maphites
who are Seafarers. From the University of Jos there emerged the Vikings which also
started as Seafarers with no proper definition or character.
The new cult groups in the tertiary institutions now include the Eye. Family
Mafia, the Dragon, the Belf Boys ,Red Fox.
Klaman, Jurists and so on. Offiong (1999) claimed that there are about thirty-six different cultic
groups in the Nigerian campuses as of
recent.
There are also female cult groups such as Daughters of Jezebel, Black
Bra, Virgins and the Amazons. They are
always in conflict with rival groups and they always strive to undo each other (Ogunade,
2002).
Some other characteristics of the present day
cults are:
a) Illegal possession of
firearms;
b)
Drug
abuse;
c)
Violent
crimes like armed robbery;
d) Illicit sexual
escapades;
e)
Killing of innocent students, academic and non-academic staff;
f)
Arson,
rape, extortion, threats, physical attacks, blackmail and
other inhuman practices.
(g) Factional struggle and
war of supremacy culminating in
bloody
clashes between the cult groups.
(h) Inter-cult clashes involving the Black Axe, Vickings
and Buccaneers.
The Pyrate Confraternity (PC) and the Mafia and so on with their
disastrous consequences.
Reasons
Why People Join Secret Cults
1.
Quest For Power and Revenge
Many
people or students become members of secret cults because of the thirst for
power and authority. This is common among those with the aim of fighting for
their rights. In Nigeria schools, the main reason why people become cultist is
to fight those who oppress them, the wicked lecturer, school authorities and
the opposite cult members.
No wonder, the countless cases of murder, blood-shed
, revenge in schools with high cultism rate.
2.
Popularity and Wealth
Some
are found in this group so as to become known, dreaded and wealthy. The cult
members are believed to have rich and influential sponsors. Becoming a member
serves as a bonus to meet the rich people in the country and also to become
rich.
Effects
of Cultism on Education
1.
Disruption of Academic Calendar
An institution
with high cultism rate will always be closed down because of the frequent
fights, clashes , unrest and blood-shed. The school authority will be forced to
close down the school and students will not have a choice but to flee for their
lives and safety.
A school can be closed for days, months and even years.
Students are prone to spend more years in school
2.
Loss of Lives and Properties
There
is an adage that says “when two elephant fight, the grass suffers”. When crisis
associated with cultism arises, properties, lives of victims and innocent
people will be lost. Cultists are known to be violent, merciless and always
high on drugs. When they fight against the school authorities, buildings,
structures, equipment and properties may be burnt or destroyed.
3.
Fall in Education Standard
Frequent
closure of schools, damages of properties, loss of lives and all other
consequences associated with cultism result to the fall in education standard
in Nigeria. Parents will find it hard to send their wards to such schools; good
and experienced lecturers will prefer to be transferred to another school where
there safety will be secured.
4.
Fear and Insecurity
Students
will always be in fear in schools with this menace. They will not be totally
focused on their studies as they will not have peace of mind. Students will
always be cautioned and will restrict their movement so as not to fall victims
of rape, assaults and death.
Possible
Solutions To Cultism
1.
Discipline
Parents
should enforce discipline on their children. They adopt good parenting styles,
have time for their children, visit them at schools and monitor their children.
Also, parents should live exemplary lives and desists from secret
organizations. School authorities should have high discipline and ensure total
eradication of all form of social vices.
2
Pubic Campaigns against Cultism
Schools,
religious houses, Parents, Students, government, non-governmental organization
and the society as a whole should wage against cultism through seminars,
workshops, campaigns and talks. The dangers associated with it
should be preached to the students.
REFERENCES
Adigwu, C.
(1999). "Students cultism-
a creation of regime". The
National Concord,
Monday. , September 20.
Fajana.
F. (1999). "The
menace of secret cults on campuses".
National
Concord. Monday, September 20.
Hornby.
A.S. (2001). Oxford advanced
learner's dictionary-. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Maquet. J. (1971). Power and ( society in Africa. New York: McGraw
Hill. p. 217.
Offiong, D. A. (1989). Continuity
and change in some tradition.: societies of
Nigeria. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University
ogunade,R.(2002; "Secret
societies and-cultic activities in Nigerian tertiary
institutions" in Leading
Issues in-General Studies, University of Ilorin Press.
Ogunlusi B. (2003). 'Awe Vs Soyinka." The Guardian., June 23rd.
Ronald. E.
(1980). Australia: Book House
Australia Ltd.
Walter.
R.M. (1970). The kingdom
of the cults.
Minnesota: Bethany