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By Evelyn Usman

From their seeming innocent looks and frail frames, wrapped in pale dispositions, they would never pass for vicious individuals whose activities are at present causing government both at the state and Federal levels, including security agents sleepless night.

They are from different ethnic groups in Nigeria but they were bonded with a common social device- cultism!

They were within the age bracket of 13 and 18., four of them.

More astonishing, is the fact that they were apprehended by policemen attached to Ilupeju division , in Lagos, right in their secondary school uniforms while on their way to attack a rival cult group at Eko Boys High School, in Mushin area of the state, on April 24, 2018. Recovered inside their bags were axes, cutlasses and knives.

Upon interrogation, the students: Ajala (surnames withheld as they are minors) (13), Femi (17), Dauda (15) and Timilehin (17), said the fifth suspect, Mayowa Rauf (18), an artisan, was their leader and provider of the weapons in their possession.

One of them , Hafiz, a Junior Secondary School 1 student of Birch Freeman Junior Secondary School, Surulere, told Saturday Vanguard that the cutlass found on him was for self-defence.

One therefore wonders how a 13-year-old boy , who ought to still be under his parents tutelage and supervision would be involved in cultism.

Emergence of cultism

The emergence of confraternity in school environment can be traced to 1952 , when eight students, led by Professor Wole Soyinka, formed the Pyrate Confraternity at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state. The confraternity had as a mandate: to address some social ills and conformist degradation both by students and the society at large. It never had any record of destructive or violence tendencies, as membership was restricted only to those with enviable academic performances. Its ideals were humanistic and did not pose any threat or danger to students.

Unfortunately , as time went by, it was characterized with break- ups with the introduction of ritualistic tendencies and violence ranging from attacks on rival groups, to test each confraternity’s might . The new order witnessed the display of dangerous weapons and chemicals used during attacks which sadly led to loss of lives and wanton destruction of both private and individual properties.

Cases of gang – rape of innocent female students who turned down cultists’ love advances have been reported in most higher institutions. In the process, some of these students were infested with HIV.

This second phase of cultism also witnessed a brazen disregard to constituted authority by members who openly challenged management of tertiary institutions, with threat to launch an attack on anyone who attempts to sanction them. Letters were written to some lecturers who dared to checkmate activities of these cultists, with stern warning to them to desist or have life snuffed out of them, particularly when these cultists were involved in examination malpractices.

Cultism extends beyond universities

When it became obvious that the citadel of learning was gradually turning into a citadel of violence, the Federal Government, at a point, placed a ban on cultism, with a stiff penalty of rustication of any student caught in the act.

The ban again, witnessed a drift from the initial motive of creating confraternity, as it extended outside the walls of tertiary institutions. Today, some Nigerians from all sectors of the society whether in the government or private working environments, politics , artisans, farmers, traders and unions of any kinds, are members of different confraternities.

Also at the moment , cultists have become so daring , that they kill at will , irrespective of who their targets are. One out of many Nigerians who were sent to an unprepared grave by cultists was Monsuru Bolaji, an official of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, LNSC.

Late Bolaji, a Corps Assistant 1, was shot to death in Aguda area of Lagos , four months ago, by five cultists . His crime? He was accused of passing information to the police on their activities.

Extends to primary, secondary schools too

The menace of cultism has assumed a frightening dimension, following its spread to primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. Teenagers involved , have deviated from carrying biros, papers and text books in their nap sacs , to carrying axes, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

Delta State

Two years ago in Delta state, 12 students of Osadenis High school , Asaba, were arrested over cult related activities. The students whose ages were between 13 and 15 years, were reportedly apprehended during initiation into a confraternity known as ‘ Future Trigger Boys’ . The then Commissioner of Police , Mr Zanna Ibrahim, confirmed the arrest.

Edo State

Also in Benin City, the Edo state capital, 14 Junior Secondary School, JSS, students of Oguola Secondary School, along St. Saviour Road, were arrested by the Police over alleged involvement in cult-related activities, last year.

Prior to their arrest, a teacher , according to principal of the school, Mr. Ehanire Reuben, was attacked , with his phone and wallets taken from him by some students suspected to be cultists.

Also, last January, the Edo State Police Command arrested two secondary school students, over alleged cultism and robbery. One of the suspects, a Junior Secondary School 3 student, was alleged to be armorers to a robbery gang.

Ogun State

Sometime in Ogun state, eight secondary school students were arrested by the State Police Command in Shagamu area of the State over same offense.

In this case, the students were arrested at the verge of being initiated into Black Scorpion confraternity by one Ayo Ahmed, a student of Remo Divisional High School, Kara.

Lagos State

However, in Lagos, over 30 minors have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command over alleged connection with cultism, between January till date.

Some of them were arrested right at the venues of initiation, by men of the Anti Cultism unit of the command and others by the Lagos StateNeighbourhood Security Corp, LNSC.

According to the LNSC boss, Mr Isreal Ajao who is a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, 11 secondary students suspected to be members of a notorious cultist gang who allegedly defiled three under-aged female students at Agarawu area of Lagos Island East , were arrested in the state, four months ago.

The suspects were alleged to have initially initiated the victims into their cult group known as “Eiye” before raping them one after the other, at the residence of their fleeing gang leader identified simply as Wakilu.

In this case, the students according to Ajao, usually visited schools of their would be victims with dangerous weapons, threatening and forcing them to their hideout where they forcefully gang-raped them. One of the victims(names withheld) was held for four days, where the students took turns to rape her, before the alarm was raised by a neighbor .

Also in the month of February 2018, Idris, a Junior Secondary School 1 student of a private school in Orile area of the state, was paraded alongside 56 other suspected cult members at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters, Ikeja. The suspects were arrested inside a bush in Abule Egbanu, Elemoro area of Ajah,during an initiation of new members, including Idris.

Two locally-made cut-to-size guns, three live cartridges and 22 expended cartridges were reportedly recovered from them. Some of the suspected cultists according to the Lagos State Police Command boss, Imohimi Edgal, were half out of their minds at the time they were arrested, due to drug overdose.

CP expresses worry

During one o f his weekly briefings and parades of suspects, Edgal , expressed worry over the indulgence of minors in cultism and threatened to arrest parents whose children were caught.

According to Edgal: “ “Cultism is a big problem, intertwined with drug abuse. All over our schools now, even to the ridiculous extent of our primary schools, people are going around recruiting young boys and girls into various cult groups, this is worrisome. It means now that we have to be more vigilant and this vigilance must not be left to the Police alone. Therefore, for school authority, the entry into your schools now, must be documented. For how long are we going to fold our hands as leaders, caregivers and parents, as this issue of cultism escalates?”

“Cultism is currently a very serious issue we must tackle in Lagos State and everyone must be involved. I am fully out to tackle it head-on and I urge parents to warn their children to stay out of cultism and turn a new leaf because I am coming for them. The era where cultists apprehended with firearms are treated with kid gloves is over. This is not a joke, parents must take this message home to their children and warn them to desist from all cult-related activities henceforth.

“I have also strengthened the Anti-Cultism Department of the Lagos State Police Command and I have directed them to move all out to track all cultists operating within the state.”

Cultists device new ways to initiate members

Findings have shown that leaders of various confraternities have devised new method of recruiting new members into their folds. Initially, subtle means such as being kind to targeted members as well as coercing them, were adopted as method of recruiting new members. In this case, the targeted members were informed and brain-washed in order to give them a soft landing before the initiation proper, by old members.

The choice of new members, be he a minor or adult, is influenced either by his family background, physical built or boldness.

But the latest method of conscripting targeted members into different confraternities is by inviting them to a party or picnic, free of charge, without an inkling that it is an invitation to an initiation meeting. Before the invitation to the purported birthday or beach party, an old member first acquaints himself with the targeted member, without revealing his sinister motive. Such invites as gathered, are extended majorly to minors , in order to prevent them from disclosing the information to their parents.

Another method used to forcefully initiate members, is by drugging their drinks.

I was lured with eight bottles of beer

In an interview with an initiate, Mujeeb (Family name withheld for being a minor) , a JSS 1 student, he disclosed that he was lured with eight bottles of beer to the initiation ground in Ajah, by a man he referred to as Egbon, in Orile. .

Idris (15), who stated that he also operates a tricycle in Orile, where he lives with his parents, said: “Egbon invited me to Savage bar at Orile where he bought a cartoon of Goldberg for me and some other youths. As I was drinking, he told me there would be a party later that night , that he would like me to sttend.

“By the time I finished eight bottles, I became tipsy and slept off. The next time I opened my eyes, I found myself in a beach with some boys . I was blindfolded and had my right thumb pieced with broken bottle. Thereafter, I was asked to lick the blood.

“They also gave me a liquid concoction to drink. Later, somebody announced ’welcome to Aiye cult. You have now blended’.”

My drink was drugged

Another initiate, Ambrose Oseni, in an interview with Saturday Vanguard , said “ I was invited to a party by a man in my community. He said that it was his nephew’s birthday. He drove me in his car. By the time we arrived there, he told me to wait in the car and gave me soft drink. By the time I woke up, I found myself in the midst of strange people. I was given some concoction to eat and they pierced my thumb with a blade and dropped the blood in a container. . When the blind was taken off , I was told that I had become a man, that I should start walking tall in my community.

“ At about 4am, I started hearing gun shots. Some of them ran away, including the man that took me there. They did not even tell me the name of the cult group before the Police arrived and arrested those of us left”.

Another suspected cultist arrested by the Police in Lagos , Ade (14) also stated that he was invited to a party by a friend in his neighborhood at Layeni area of Old Ojo road , only to discover it was an invitation to join Aiye confraternity.

He said : “ When we got there, we were ordered to drop our phones. I refused initially but one of those at the entrance landed a slap across my face and asked if I did not know where I was and still being the stubborn type. I engaged him in a fight but I was out numbered and over powered . They were still beating me when one of them walked in and ordered them to leave me alone. The person held me by the shoulder and said I was the type of person needed there. Yet, I did not understand what he meant, all I insisted on was to be allowed to leave. One of them poured a substance into my eyes and the next time I opened my eyes , I found myself at the initiation spot with my face blindfolded. After the ritual, policemen came and picked us. I am even happy they came because I had resolved to expose them, had I left the place alive.”

Same method of invitation was used to force 16-year-old Monsuru into Aiye confraternity at Oworoshoki area of Lagos. In an exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard he revealed the torture new initiates go through, by way of establishing how strong they are.

According to him: “ People are lured into cultism without being told of the consequences. By the time one is initiated, it will be too late to back off , as that would amount to the person’s death. That is why during initiation, one takes an oath of secrecy. We are told to promote the interest of our members , whether they are legitimate or not. Members meet at ungodly hours during which they are given directive on what to do. At times, instructions on what to do are given through telephone calls by our leaders. Once one is initiated, he loses his freedom and he is not allowed to make friends with rival cultists as that could amount to his death.

“ During initiation, a new member undergoes severe beating from about six persons. At the same time, he is ordered to run to a particular direction in the dark. He is also asked to lie on top of soldier ants. They will also be told to climb a hill with a warning that the last man standing would be killed. At that point, everyone would be struggling to come down first. In the process, they would be severally injured. The process is just to prepare them for a similar travail, particularly when attacked by rival cult group.”

Reasons for joining

From interactions with some arrested minors, it was discovered that some joined cultism through a desire to dominate, subdue and instill fear on their colleagues; to protect themselves against attack from other cult groups; through influence from peer groups and out of frustration.

I armed myself for self defence

A JSS1 student, Ajala( surname withheld), who was arrested with some weapons in his school bag, stated when interviewed that he joined cultism to defend himself.

Explaining his mission on the day of the arrest, Hafiz said: “ We went to play Principal Cup football match with other schools. Fight usually breaks out at the end of a match, as the loser would attack the winning school. So, I had to arm myself with a knife for self defence and I joined cultism to defend myself.”

Investigation has also shown that minors and their adult counterparts take to cultism because of the stipend they get from politicians who use them as errand boys or thugs

In Lagos state for instance, some clashes which resulted in death, were caused by politicians who openly dolled out money to cultists who are their loyalists and in the process of sharing, fight broke out as some of them felt cheated.

An instance that readily comes to mind was the murder of one Adegoke Philip by some hoodlums at a political rally held recently at Bariga area, last August, by suspected members of the Eiye confraternity, led by one Lukuman Agboola.

Agboola, alias Baggo, as gathered, had wanted to receive N20,000 from the unnamed politician but a suspected member of the Eiye cult identified as Ahmed ,was faster and snatched the money from the politician, an action that angered Agboola. A heated argument which degenerated into a fight ensued, in the process of which Philip over powered Agboola. However next day, Agboola was said to have carried out a revenge by stabbing Adegoke in the neck, thereby resulting in his death. Fleeing Agboola,(35), was however, arrested last month, at new Garage area of Bariga, Lagos

Clampdown on cultism

In its bid to checkmate activities of cultists , the Lagos State Police Command under the watch of CP Edgal, has devised various methods , among which are: encouraging government at all tiers to engage youths in businesses and also recreated an opportunity to cultists to renounce tier membership, without being molested by security agencies.

So far, over 800 youths formerly involved in cultism have openly denounced membership of different confraternities, as well as surrendered their weapons.

The denunciation exercise took place in Ikorodu and Badagry areas of the state this year. The repentant cultists included graduates, holders of the Higher National Diploma, HND and Ordinary National Diploma , OND , as well as teachers and artisans.

For those who refused to embrace the opportunity, several raids were carried in some of areas, during which some of them were arrested. Others were however, arrested during initiation of new members following tip off.

Record at Saturday Vanguard disposal showed that between January and May 2018, 505 suspected cultists have been arrested.

A breakdown of this figure showed that 21 suspected cultists were arrested in January, 67 in February, 5 in March , 338 in April and 74 in May.

The suspected cultists were arrested in Surulere, Ijegun Sattelite, Oluti, Ikorodu, Ajah, Yaba ,Oworoshoki areas of Lagos. Other areas included Mushin, Ajagbandi, Ilasa, Shibiri Alaba, Oshodi, Isolo, Ijora Badia, Ajegunle and Itire areas of the state.

From interactions with some suspected cultists, it was glaring that social vices exhibited, were due to their desire to explore alternative avenues for survival in a society that does not cater for their needs. Unless, government rises to address these basic need, the fight by security agencies against cultism may turn out to be a shadow chase.

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