Anxiety As Cults Spring Up In Primary, Secondary Schools

Despite concerted efforts by government and concerned stakeholders to provide Nigerians with quality education, a few have chosen to toe the line that leads to destruction through voluntary initiation into different cults, which has eaten deep into the education system.

What is known as secret cult in tertiary institutions started at the University College, Ibadan in 1953 when Prof. Wole Soyinka, Aig-Imoukhuede, Pius Oleghe, Ralph Opara, Nat Oyelola and Prof. Muyiwa Awe formed the Pyrates Confraternity with the objectives of abolishing convention, reviving the age chivalry, and ending tribalism and elitism.

But these objectives have been defeated as thousands of lives have been lost and properties worth millions of naira lost due to the evil activities of cult groups in our tertiary institutions. As a result, the National Association of Sea dogs ordered a cessation of all its activities on campuses of higher institutions effective 1984.

But it is unfortunate that our primary and secondary schools are veritable grounds for breeding cultists, making one to wonder if we are civilizing in the right way.

The expulsion of 26 secondary school students for involvement in cult activities in 2002 in Cross River State, the beating of a secondary school typist to death in Eket, Akwa Ibom State in 2004, the killing of one Victor aka ‘papa’, a secondary school student in Oron, Akwa Ibom State in January 2004, the massive initiation of children into more than 150 cult groups identified by the anti-cultism law of Rivers State and the arrest of seven secondary school kingpins in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in 2004, opened our eyes to the rot at the secondary school level in Nigeria.

It was reported that kid cultists, consisting of four girls aged between 13 and 15, were arrested at Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Some of the cultists had been expelled from various secondary schools in connection with cult-related activities. The boys had the marks of Eye Confraternity cult group on their arms, while the girls belonged to the Queen of White Angels.

Worried by the rise in cultism in primary and secondary schools, President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the National Assembly to enact tougher laws against cultists and those engaging in examination malpractice.

He said the eradication of cultism was a national project for all stakeholders in the country as campuses of higher institutions had been turned into breeding ground for cultists, an avenue for the practice of immoralities and a base for grooming terrorists.

Jonathan who called for a ‘re-orientation of our children said government would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to curb the activities of cultists and their sponsors.

Speaking with Vanguard Learning at the 3rd national conference on Strategies for Eradicating Cultism in Nigerian Educational Institutions organised by the University of Ibadan in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayat Rufa’i, said there had been recommendations in the past to curtail cultism but the greatest challenge was implementation.

“If we must succeed in eradicating cultism in Nigerian institutions, all hands must be on deck. Parents, religious organisations and both members and non-members of the government are to work jointly on this measure.”

Attributing the rise in cultism to the complicity of some desperate politicians, President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Com. Dauda Mohammed, said: “It is frightening to see the depth at which the menace of cultism has eating deep into our educational system, particularly with its incursion into the secondary school levels, and we expect government to take a decisive step in checkmating cult activities on our campuses and also taking practical steps in bringing the sponsors of these cult groups to book.

“The presence of cult groups in our secondary schools is a spill over of the prevalence of cultism in our tertiary institutions. The first practical step that government must take is the promotion of Students Unionism as cultism took an increased dimension from the point when unionism became voluntary and union activities were facing repression on our campuses.”

Suggesting how to effectively combat secret cultism, the minister said Nigerian universities must enjoy improved funding, recreational/academic facilities must be improved and virile students union activities must be allowed to thrive.

For the NANS President, the return of vibrant and compulsory students unionism to the campuses coupled with the promotion of other voluntary organisations in our institutions will go a long way in reducing the menace of cultism.

Mohammed urged the National Assembly to also repeal the military decree of the recommendations of the General Abisoye panel which made students unionism voluntary rather than compulsory for students in our higher institutions.

How to identify cultists in secondary schools

Most schools prone to these acts are not fenced while those that are fenced are not high enough, making them prone to such things. The question is how do you know such students?

*They hardly stay in class to study and are fond of moving aimlessly trying to recruit new students or trying to disturb the peace of the class and also disturb the students who refuse to join.

*They don’t obey laws and orders that have been laid down by the school authorities. If it is a mixed school, they are fond of toasting girls and any who refuses would be beaten seriously.

*They are known to put on certain colours of attires like black, red, green and yellow berets, so also they put on mufflers with different colours, depending on the cult gang they belong to. Some put on the chaplet, it is either yellow, or those mixed with different colours, with the same bangles especially yellow, depending on which group they belong to.

By Amaka Abayomi & Favour Nnabugwu