Campus cultism pervades Nigerian higher educational institutions. It is producing a culture of fearand speculation and hindering academic pursuits.

Campus cult in Nigeria have been traced back to 1952 when Prof. Wole Soyinka, winner of the 1986 Noble prize for literature and a group of six friends formed the Pirates Confraternity Elite of the University college Ibadan, then part of the University of London.

It was formed with the aim of producing future Nigeria leaders who should be very proud of their Africa heritage.

The pirates cultivated a style that ridiculed colonial attitude. They proved popular among students even after the original members moved on. Membership was opened to every male students regardless of tribe or race and.

For almost twenty (20) years, the pirate a non-violent body become established in all tertiary institution that emerged in post independent Nigeria as the only confraternity on Nigeria campus.

The emergence of campus cult as they are known in Nigeria today began with a split of early 1970s, in pirates confraternity. In 1972 Bolaji Carew and several others were expelled from the pirates for failing to meet expected standards.

In reaction to this and other events, the pirates registered themselves under the name National Association of Seadogs [NAS]. The Buccaneers of Seadogs was founded by Carew. In 1980’s confraternities spread over the three hundred (300) institutions of higher education in the country.

Today, there are lots of notable secret cults in Nigeria which include the Black axe, Vickings, Eiye confraternity, the Amazons, Mafia, Buccaneer, and Dragons. Eve the female students in school are not left behind as they have their own groups known as Temple of Eden, Barracudas, Frigrates, Daughters of Jezebel and lot more.

What’s theCause of Nigerian Cultism on campuses?

Below are the causes of cultism on Nigerian campuses:

1.       Peer Group Influence:

In campuses today, peer group influence happens to be one of the factors that lots of students to join secret cults. This is according to research carried out which shows peer group influence as one of the reasons students join cultism.

2.      Parental Background:

Young people who come from homes where morals are observed and discipline are strictly enforced, don’t likely join cultism. There are report that shows parental background, and lack of moral instruction in some familiessome a factor for the recruitment ofmember to cult.

Sometimes, you find that some of the students’ parentsmight be members of some secret cults. Also, some cult members may come from broken homes due to child abuse or neglect. This simply means that some students joined secret cult to get over their frustration coursed by their broken home.

3.      Societal Decadence:

Increase in crimes happens to be among the problem of campus secret cult. This is as a result youth’s imbibed immoral values when they are supposed to be inculcating moral and decent values.

4.      Erosion of Education Standards:

One of the curses of cultism is the economic shut down that happened around 1980s. This is what encouraged corrupt practices and erosion of standards in our educational system. It was noted that a lot of students got admission into the higher institutions with dubious credentials. This means that such students, due to their low self-image would likely find solace in cultism just to survive the academic rigorsno matter the cost.

However, for such the survival of such a student, the academic system will be game of survival. This will lead such a student to join cult groups for them to intimidate lecturers and get good grades.

5.      Militarization of the Nigerian Polity:

One other is known as the culture of violence. This has become part of the Nigerian political issues lots of people face today which started during the military coups, political assassinations, and other militia and communal clashes.

It is the emergence of Nigerianmilitary coups thatintroduced violence as method of resolving political conflicts. This means that it was the militarization of the political system in Nigerianfor decades led to increase in cultism.

The Solutions Secret Cults in Campus

Due to this cultism problem in the country, we have listed some solutions to the menace of cultism in Nigerian tertiary institutions. So here are our suggestionsfor possible solutions to the menace of cultism in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

ü  The government and non-governmental agencies must try as much to step up their campaigns against cultism in the society. Activities of cultism which has been noticed in schools needs some level of sensitization.

ü  This can be achieved via seminars, symposium, workshops,posters, media, handbills, online media and public lectures.

ü  However, parents needs to desist from secret cults themselves and also prevent their children from it too.

ü  Another idea is the teaching of morals in our educational system. This will re-introduced the value of lives and properties we have always known in the society.

ü  Our religious organizations should also work hard to support this too. Our parents must be vigilant when it comes to the activities of their children in the home and outside the home. Student’s livingconditions should be improved by their parents on campuses as a way to minimize the perceived strain in their social life.

ü  School authorities must understand that they are to show doggedness in their pursuit to stamp out cultism on campuses. School authorities must brace up to the challenges of cultism, since it has become one of the most potent violent activities in recent time.

ü  For students who didn’t join secret cults, they can organize themselves into an anti-cultism vanguard that watches and report any cult activities to authorities of the university and the law enforcement agencies.

CONCLUSION

We have been able to share with you the history, courses, and the solution tothe problem of cultism in Nigeria. As you know, this embroiled in moral decadence among youth in the country has brought lots of violence, which has become a way of life to many.

Since we have observed the havoc which cultism has wrecked on the society including both members and non-members, their academic lecturers, we all must help to combat the menace.