After a seeming long lull in cultism on campuses in the country, there appears to be a renaissance. Tunde Ogunesan and Omolara Ayinla take a look into how cultism got into Nigeria's higher institutions of learning, the impetus for cultists to do what they do and how the menace could be curtailed.JULY 10, 1999 remains an unforgettable day in the history of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State as five undergraduates of the institution were murdered in their sleep by secret cult members. Sadness filled the atmosphere, wailing and gnashing of the teeth ensued, and the government promised to put an end to the menace. However, 13 years after, the menace is still very much alive on our campuses. Since the first confraternity in any Nigerian tertiary institution, known as the Pyrates Confraternity (PC) was formed in1954, succeeding generations of Nigerian undergraduates, who took a cue from the founding fathers of Pyrates Confraternity have terrorised the academic environment. One of the founding members of PC, Emeritus Professor Muyiwa Awe, said their intention was just to catch fun as young undergraduates then, with the objectives of abolishing convention, reviving the age-long chivalry, and ending tribalism and elitism. In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Awe, formerly of the Physics Department, University of Ibadan, said everything they did was done in the open and that's why up till date, they were able to produce a photograph of the then 'original seven' as they were called. However, soon after the founders graduated from the university, their lofty idea was hijacked as 'disgruntled elements' broke away from the PC. Since then, the university environment has known no peace as various emerging cult groups terrorise the community with confidence and get away with it. After the Ife five attack, the federal government promised to put an end to cultism in higher institutions. The then president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, gave a marching order that cultism must be eradicated in all universities within three months. Before then, a military decree; No 47,1999, had earlier given the governing councils of universities power to 'proscribe any unlawful society and prescribes a jail term not exceeding five years and/ or fine not exceeding N50,000 for anyone convicted under the decree.' However, this has not dissuaded students from joining cult groups. In the case of the OAU attack, some students were rusticated, but they still found their way into other institutions. This, probably according to many stakeholders, might be the reason cultism war has not been won in Nigeria.Professor Muyiwa Awe, who is now a pastor at the Fullness of Christ Evangelical Ministry (FOCEM), Ibadan, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, recalled the formative years of Pyrates Confraternity.'In the 1953/54 session, seven idealistic, young men started an organisation which we named as Pyrates Confraternity, at the University College, Ibadan (UCI) now the University of Ibadan(UI). Three of us, Wole Soyinka, Pius Oleghe and I (Muyiwa Awe) were in the same class in our old secondary school; Nat O. Oyelola was a class ahead of us, while Sylvanus Egbuche was our junior at school. Two others, Ralph Opara and I.I. Aig-Imoukhuede were from other schools. I certainly thought it was all fun, and so did the others as I believed, and still believe. Three of the seven of us who started the Confraternity are now dead; Ralph Opara died in the year 2002, and Pius Oleghe died some years earlier while I also learnt that Aig-Imoukhuede is no more. 'Although I can say that our acts and behaviours were in the innocence and exuberance of youths, that was not the plan of God for his children. This I found out after I became born again, while approaching my 59th birthday,' he said.Professor Awe further hinted that their confraternity was a different class to the now campus secret cults, adding that in their days there was nothing like initiation and everything was done in the open but he said 'we cannot deny the fact that we laid the foundation these boys were copying, though they copied us negatively. We provided the platform they built upon, despite the fact that that was not our ideals then, none of us, not even Wole Soyinka encouraged nor sponsored violence. But today, apart from Soyinka whose views and current links with the confraternity are well known, none of us is active in the organisation any longer.'But if the PC did not preach violence, the succeeding breeds from Bolaji Carew, who led in the formation of the Buccaneers Confraternity to Gregory Dele Nwakpele, known as 'Oga mi' who championed the establishment of 'Awon Eiye' which later transformed to 'Eiye Confraternity' with their violent slogan 'Eiye o ni sasun, eiye mbuta' and to the latter female cults groups, traded in violence with their activities leaving behind left scars in some families till date. The once ideological gathering of young undergraduates now thrives in illegal possession of firearms; drug abuse; violent crimes like armed robbery; illicit sexual escapades; killing of innocent students, academic and non-academic staff; arson, rape, extortion, threats, physical attacks, blackmail and other inhuman practices.Also, factional struggle and supremacy war had culminated in bloody clashes among the groups. Today, according to investigations, over 85 cult groups exist in our citadels of learning in the country.Some ex-cultists who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune revealed that whatever the claim of the founders of the confraternity, they cannot distance themselves from this menace. Paul Itanyi (not real name) said he was introduced into cultism by a choir friend. According to him, 'I can say the experience was very, very bitter. A friend who we were in the choir together before gaining admission to the university lured me into cultism because I so much believed that he could never be wayward. What we were cajoled of benefitting were not benefits but because we thought there was no life outside the university campus again, we believed all those cock and bull stories. Do you know another level of deceit, we had the opportunity of meeting those dignitaries in the society who people fall over themselves to shake their hands. We wined and dined together with them whenever we wished to. To us, that was connection. But we were just instruments to achieve their selfish political or business ambitions.'Itanyi also revealed that they went away with whatever level of atrocities they committed because there was always a 'senior colleague' somewhere to oversee their case. Be it in an academic environment, government circle or even religious community, the cultists escaped punishments.This, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the fight against cultism in tertiary institutions is not a recent development but has been on as far back as 1971 when some members of PC at the University of Ibadan were alleged to have engaged in unruly behaviour and were damaging properties. Kaliko Bukano, a former PC member in his testimonial published in one of the newsletters of FOCEM, said 'the cover up of erring cultists did not start now, a reason which could not be unconnected with the resurgence of the menace in our tertiary institutions today.'Bukano revealed that 'Once in 1971, the entire Sultan Bello Hall and part of the University Administrative blocks were severely damaged after a 'rugged sally'. Senate compiled the list of all Pyrates and summoned us to face a disciplinary panel. Something happened and the action was subsumed under the pretext of attending to workers' industrial action.'Till date, only few cult members, especially those without 'special contact' got to face the music. And after a little peace, the cankerworm returned again to various higher institutions including secondary schools. In 2011/2012 academic session, more than seven deaths were recorded in various institutions of learning across the length and breadth of Nigeria. In April, a final year student of Ekiti State University was murdered in an inter-cult war; at Kwara Polytechnic,Ilorin, a clash between two cult groups left two persons dead on June 2. Also on June 7, a student of Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), Calabar, was murdered in a cafe inside the school premises while at the Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, two students were beheaded during a clash between ex-militants recently enrolled at the school and suspected student cultists in the institution.These incidents show that the fight to check the menace of cultist activities is far from being won. Professor Awe was also the chairman of University of Ibadan anti-cultism campaign committee for 10 years. He said the major reason no solution has been found to reduce the menace is that 'Government is not willing to do anything positive in that direction because it had many reports on how to curb cultism, but end up on peoples' tables. Whatever committees set up can't implement the report. The worst aspect of it is that we now have cultism in our secondary and even primary schools across the country. If the government is sincere to tackle the problem, we have had enough laws passed against cultism, at least three or four states in the South-West had passed anti-cultism laws, though not enough, what we're now waiting for is implementation of the law or the reports. Government has a major role to play in curbing cultism.'In his view, the chairman University of Ibadan anti-cultism campaign committee and Centre for Social Orientation (CenSO), University of Ibadan, Dr Adams Onuka, said revelation from the last seminar/workshop on cultism held in Abuja in May this year was shocking. Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Onuka said 'During the last seminar, all the attendees were shocked to hear that cultism has now gone down the ladder in our education. We now have them in primary and secondary schools courtesy of youth corps members who recruit the innocent students into their various cult groups during service.'We have lost our culture and value system, the love for money has overtaken us. All the leaders are interested in is what comes to them. Today, we have many parents living apart because they want career push or more money, even parents staying together keep coming home late and fail to monitor the behaviour of their children or mentor them. If we want to fight cultism, we must be ready to fight other anti-social ills in our society as well. Cultism is everywhere; churches, mosques, homes and in our communities. I define cultism as people coming together to protect their groups' interest above general interest. It is a general attitude that our society is giving rise to. Until we give it a sincere national approach; at the local government, state and federal levels, we may continue to live in the shadows,' he said.Dr (Mrs) Arinlade Jekayinfa, in a paper: Cult activities in Nigerian Institutions of higher learning, suggested a definite legislation that would give a death sentence to anybody found guilty of cult activities on the campuses.She added that moral education should be made compulsory in the primary and secondary schools in the country while cultism and its consequences should be treated in the General Studies courses in all tertiary institutions in the country among others.To corroborate Awe's claim that cultism has become a spiritual matter, Jekayinfa posits that 'Aggressive evangelism of waging war against cultism in all tertiary institutions should be allowed by all religious groups in the country,' she said.In a paper presented by A Ajayi, Haastrup Ekundayo and F.M. Osalusi titled: 'Menace of Cultism in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions: The Way Out', they recommend that 'the government should be more aggressive in her quest to eradicate cultism in the tertiary institutions.'As a way of stalling its growth in lower schools, Nigerian Tribune gathered President Goodluck Jonathan had called on the National Assembly to enact tougher laws against cultists. Nevertheless, as all fingers now point to the government to find lasting solutions to the problem, Onuka said the 'Determination of few people in our generation would bring it to the barest minimum.'The question, however, remains who are the determined few that will stamp cultism out of institutions
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