Cultism can be simply described as a kind
of gang behaviour that is contrary to the accepted norms and values of the
larger society, and is characterised by oath-taking, secrecy and violence. It
is prevalent particularly among the youth. Sociologists refer to such deviant
behaviour as “delinquent subculture.”
In every society, especially in urban
areas, delinquent subculture is known to exist, but the cult variant has become
quite pervasive and endemic in Nigeria. Although in Nigeria cultism is more
associated with student organisations, which are inclined to violence, recent
incidents of cult violence have shown that the membership and sphere of
operation of cult gangs now transcend the university environment.
The term “cult” is used in
different senses by, on the one hand, specialists in the study of religion,
and, on the other, by the media and general public. Thus, sociologists of
religion use the term to describe a loosely knit organisation not characterised
by tolerance and open-mindedness in matters of belief and practice, while in
the media and in every day conversation the word suggests a spurious,
secretive, sinister and harmful group. It is in the latter sense that the word
is better known and in which it is used in this paper.
Due to the clandestine nature of
operation of cult gangs, the popular phrase used in Nigeria is “secret
cult.” The phrase is sometimes used interchangeably with “secret
society,” which also is an organisation in which the members are usually
bound by an oath of secrecy. Both secret cults and secret societies often require
an elaborate form of initiation, oath-taking, ritualistic use of symbols,
passwords, and handshakes as a means of recognition among members.
However, that is where the similarity
ends, as there is indeed a distinction between the two. For instance,
“secret society” is defined in Section 318 of the Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as including: “any society,
association, group or body of persons (whether registered or not)
(a) that uses secret signs, oaths, rites
or symbols, and which is formed to promote a cause, the purpose or part of the
purpose of which is to foster the interest of its members and to aid one
another under any circumstances without due regard to merit, fair play or
justice, to the detriment of the legitimate interest of those who are not
members;
(b) the members of which is incompatible
with the function or dignity of any public office under this Constitution and
whose members are sworn to observe oaths of secrecy, or
(c) the activities of which are not
known to the public at large, the names of whose members are kept secret and
whose meetings and other activities are held in secret ”
Although, there is no definition of
“secret cult” in the Constitution, the definition given to it in
the Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, 2004 recently passed
by the Rivers State House of Assembly is instructive, as it clearly shows the
popularity, particularly in Nigeria, of the non-academic, every day usage of
the phrase. That Law defined secret cult as follows: “Secret cult”
means any organisation, association, group or body of persons (whether or not
listed in the Schedule) whose membership, meetings and other activities are
kept secret, and which promotes, causes or engages in acts of violence,
intimidation or harm, in whatever manner, against the public or any member of
the public.”
From the definitions above, it can be
seen that the essential difference between the two notions is the dominant
element of violence in the definition of secret cult, which element is not
necessarily present in that of secret society. It follows therefore that the
activities of secret cults have criminal character, while those of secret
societies do not. However, it appears that some sort of depravity is yet
associated with the notion ‘secret society’ in the psyche of the
ordinary Nigerian. Hence, the 1999 Constitution made membership of secret
society a disqualifying factor for purposes of contesting an election into any
public office in Nigeria, as provided in Sections 66(1)(g); 107(1)(g); 137(1)(g);
and 182(1)(h).
Evolution of Cultism
In every human society, there is an
inclination for groups of people to get into exclusive unions for one lofty or
debased purpose or the other. As far back as the 17th and 18th Centuries, cult
organisations existed in Western societies. They organise criminal activities
and protect their members. Cults have a long history in Asia. In China, they
were active in almost every major rebellion or dynastic struggle, and they were
also the nucleus of organised crimes. The cults that sprang up in Japan and
Italy in the 19th Century were and still remain among the most pervasive of
criminal brotherhoods in any developed society.
The exploits of the Mafia in Italy is
well known. The Mafia first developed in Sicily in feudal times to protect the
estates of absentee landlords. By the 19th Century, it had become a network of
criminal bands that dominated Sicilian countryside. The members where bound by
a rigid code of conduct that included avoiding all contact and cooperation with
the authorities. By employing terrorist methods against the peasant electorate,
the Mafia soon attained political office in several communities, thus acquiring
influence with the police and obtaining legal access to weapons with which they
wrecked havoc on innocent citizens.
Cult organisations were known to exist
in Africa in the 18th Century. In some parts of the continent, they also exert
a powerful force on the economic and political life of the community.
Sociologists postulate that, in the olden days, traditional societies in
Nigeria operated with cultism. It is even said that in some parts of the
pre-colonial Nigeria, traditional native courts consulted cults in judicial
matters and, in some instances, these cults served as Courts of Appeal which dispensed
justice according to their own moral codes. The cults of those days were thus
instruments of traditional administration and guardians of the morality in
various communities.
Cult organisations have long existed in
campuses of higher institutions all over the world since the 19th Century.
Some of the oldest campus cults in the United States are Phi Beta Kappa, Kappa
Alpha Society and Ku Klux Klan.
Cultism was introduced in Nigerian higher
institutions probably in the 1950s. It is said that they were formed with the
original objective of combating negative tendencies of colonial mentality,
tribalism, nepotism and other forms of societal ills within and outside the
university campus. At that time, campus cults were known to have agitated for
the abolition of colonialism and the revival of Africanism and Nigerianisation.
They fought for the rights of students and sought the enthronement of an
egalitarian society. The violent tendencies of cultists were therefore less
obvious at the time, and most people might have, perhaps correctly, attributed
a good measure of patriotism to the university cults of yesteryears.
Cultism was later to become synonymous
with violence. In contemporary Nigeria, campuses of higher institutions have
become theatres of war, as cult gangs fight one another unleashing terror in
its sordid form. Cult-induced killing, maiming and destruction have become the
order of the day. The base exploits of student cultists have regularly made
headlines in the media, compelling the interest of the whole nation. Never
before have campus cults assumed the level of notoriety they are known for
today. So bad is the situation now that the cult virus is spreading far beyond
the campus environment. Hence, membership is no longer restricted to students
of tertiary institutions. Virtually anybody with evil blood running in his or
her veins can join a cult gang. Even young girls and pre-teenage youths have
joined the ranks of cultist.
Causes of cultism
Erosion of educational standards
In the 1980s and upwards when the country
experienced economic depression, the universities as well as other public
institutions in the country suffered from acute shortage of funds, which
encouraged corruption and erosion of standards in the system. Most students
gained admission into the universities with dubious credentials, and being of
low academic standards, failure stared them in the face. Such students have
poor self-image and find pride and self-esteem from becoming members of
cult gangs in the university campuses. For them, to survive the academic
system becomes a game of survival at all costs, and as such they join cult
groups to intimidate lecturers and the school authorities who themselves are
not free from corruption. Indeed, some lecturers benefit from the cult
activities of some students and therefore encourage cultism.
Economic difficulties
Despite the economic and political
difficulties encountered by the present regime, a lot of progress has been
recorded in these and other sectors. Some economic reforms have been made
which have buoyed the economy of the country, and the fight against corruption
has yielded good results. The provision of more funds to the states has
enhanced the development of the states, while the publication of the receipt of
revenues at the local government and state levels has also enhanced
transparency. While acknowledging these landmarks, one will be frank to admit
also that some economic difficulties still exist which sometimes inadvertently
drive young men to get involved in some unseemly activities.
Emulation of military coupists
Nigeria has experienced a lot of military
coups since independence. It is not surprising that campus cult organisations
learnt a lot from the secret methods of operation of the military. The
professionalism of the military in terms of weapons and ammunitions handling
and the secret commando-like operation of the coup plotters greatly appeal to
the cultists.
Also, the military who assumed political
power often used cults in the tertiary institutions against critics of their
administration. The university community was turned into a jungle to hunt and
punish assumed enemies by the military dictatorship, and the Ivory Tower
started breeding within its womb a cult of students whose activities threatened
academic life.
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