Over the years, cultism has held inexplicable attraction for the nation’s youth population. In the 1990s, cult groups had roots largely in the universities and other tertiary institutions where they sprang up as fraternities. Then, there were no private universities and polytechnics. They kill, steal and destroy and tolerate no challenge or presence of rival groups. Cult wars are rampant on campuses and when they break out, turn the whole place into killing fields. Apart from students, lecturers and non-academic staff are often cut down. To get a kind of protection, these other members of the academic community also enlist in cult groups. In some cases, they do so out of fear for their lives. Anyone who has witnessed the ravages of cultism in Nigerian schools would grasp the immensity of its contribution to academic decadence in Nigeria. Today, the Nigerian society is not just grappling with the menace of campus cultism. The spread of it to secondary schools and the larger society is beginning to be worrisome. In the metropolitan city of Lagos, it is not just the Badoo Boys. The Police Command while receiving over 200 repentant members of Eiye, Black Axe and Buccaneer in January this year confirmed that the number brought to a total of 860 cultists who formally surrendered within four months in Ikorodu part of the state alone. In Rivers State, the House of Assembly had passed the Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, No. 6 of 2004. In the law no fewer than 101 cult groups that included the desperately deadly Deygbam and Deywell were listed as operational in the state. The presence of over 30 cult groups in Akwa Ibom State, this year, made Governor Udom Emmanuel to sign the Cultism and Other Violent Behaviour Prohibition Order in the state, which took effect from March 12, 2018. Nothing testifies more eloquently to the contagion of cultism in our society than the fact that more than half of the 36 states of the federation now have laws that prohibit cultism and cult activities. In some of these state laws, the penalty for culprits upon conviction is death sentence. More disturbing is that cult activities have made secondary schools, especially in the public sector, as unsafe as the tertiary institutions. Evil campus fraternities are finding their ways into these schools. Last week, the Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board (PPSM) had to expel nine female students of Urban Girls Secondary School, Enugu for their alleged membership of a cult group in the school. The board further declared that any pupil in the state found to be a member of a cult group would not only be expelled, but also be prevented from enrolling in any school in the state. We welcome any measure geared towards making schools and the society at large saner and commend the big stick Enugu State wielded against the deviant young girls. However, since the activities of the girls contravened Section 62 (1) of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, which makes membership of unlawful societies a crime against the Nigerian state, the board should have considered prosecution. That, in the opinion of this newspaper, should be the way to go for education boards in all the states of the federation and the managements of tertiary institutions. It is not enough to expel student or pupil cult members. They should be handed over to the police for prosecution given that aside Section 62 (1) of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, many other laws at both the state and federal levels make membership of unlawful societies a crime that must be rooted out. We note, however, that the more result-oriented approach at tackling cultism especially within the larger society should be proactive rather than reactive. Proactive measures demand that the different tiers of government should direct their energies more at addressing issues of social welfare, job and wealth creation than in expanding prison walls to take in more convicts of the crime of cultism or financing police raids on cultists’ hideouts. This, in our view, should not be pursued in relegation of the importance of the need for the enforcement of the laws that frown at cultism in the country. Laws are meant to be enforced. It takes no more than political will to do it. The litany of the laws against cultism have neither saved students, the schools nor the society from the evils of cultism because no one gives a hang about their enforcement.
Cultism: Enforce The Laws
- Trump Declares National Emergency To Build Mexico Wall
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will declare a national emergency to fulfill…
- Places To Spice Up Your Weekend In Abuja
Caramelo: This event centre located in Utako Abuja, prides itself as one of the most…
- Movies To Watch This Year
Movies have served as man’s number one choice to entertain self from time immemorial. It…
- ‘Go Out And Vote’, U.S.-Based Group Urges Nigerians
Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN), a US-based Nigerian group, has appealed to eligible…
- Amafibe Drums Support For Gov Okowa
An Abuja based entertainment practitioner and the CEO, Peace Ambassador Agency and Amb Kingsley Amafibe…
- Nollywood Stakeholders Task NCC For Dedicated Broadband
Principal players in the nation’s entertainment space, Nollywood, have intensified calls for the government to…
- Elections’ Media Coverage And Matters Arising
Mr Benson Olugbuo, Executive Director, Cleen Foundation, a non-governmental organisation posits that access to information…
- Is PMAN Scared Of Pretty OKafor And Associates?
It is yet another great week and I am happy God has kept us alive…
- Timaya Out With EP ‘Chulo Vibes’
Celebrated musicians keep re-inventing their music. This consistency, perhaps, shows how hard they work to…
- New Born Baby Dumped In Storm Drain, Rescued After 4 Hours
A baby girl was rescued from a storm drain in Durban, South Africa, after residents…
- Decide On Brexit Accord Quickly, France Urges Britain
France called on Britain to decide on a deal of its divorce from the European…
- Court Sentence Policeman To Death For Murder
Kenya's High Court has sentenced a senior policeman to death for the murder of a…
- France Urges Britain To Decide On Brexit Accord Quickly
France called on Britain to decide on a deal of its divorce from the European…
- Air Peace Hails Dickson Over New Bayelsa Airport
Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, has commended Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa for constructing the new…
- Buhari Performs Friday Prayer In Daura
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday performed the weekly Juma’at prayer at the Daura Central Mosque…
- Institute Acquires Machine For Cancer Research
The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) says it has acquired NextSeq 500/550 system machine…
- Elections: Toyin Saraki Hails UN’s Message Of Peace
The president, Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Toyin Saraki has hailed the United Nations secretary general's special…
- Facebook Could Face Multibillion-Dollar Fine Over Privacy Failures
Facebook is in legal trouble again according to an article on the Washington Post. The Federal Trade…
- 2019 Election: Be Honest In Your Reportage, German Foundation Urges Journalists
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a German foundation has urged media practitioners in the country to be honest…
- Price Of Cooking Gas Decreased In January- NBS
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the average cost of refilling a five kilogramme(kg)…
- Touting In Abuja Airport Under Watch – FAAN
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in collaboration with security agencies, have intensified effort…
- Brexit: Theresa May Suffers Fresh Commons Defeat
Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered another Commons defeat after MPs voted down her approach…
- World Cup Qualifiers: D’Tigers Open Camp Feb 19
Nigeria’s D’Tigers will officially open camp on Tuesday, February 19 in Abidjan for the last…
- Uganda Deports MTN Chief Executive Over Security Concerns
Uganda’s security agencies and immigration department have deported the chief executive of the largest telecommunications…
- Amazon Cancels New York City Campus Plan
Amazon has said it will not build a new headquarters in New York, citing fierce…
- Mourinho Sacking Cost United £20m
Manchester United paid £19.6m in compensation to Jose Mourinho and his backroom staff when he…
- Celebration As Afghans Mark 30th Anniversary Of Exit From Former Soviet Union Force
Afghan people marked the 30th withdrawal anniversary of former Soviet Union troops from the war-ravaged…