Cultism: How it started and what it is now

 

Cultism: How it started and what it is now 

Agoro Ololade

Wikipedia defines a cult as a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. Another definition plainly states that a cult is a secret society which is not open to everybody, and cultism, therefore, is the act of belonging to a secret cult in an educational institution. This author wonders how two definitions could be so different (one cautiously covering several areas and the other bold and direct) and yet still apply to cultism in Nigeria from when it started till date.

 

As recorded in history, cultism started in Nigeria in 1952 when Professor and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and six others formed the Seadogs Confraternity, aka Pyrates, in the prestigious University of Ibadan. These original founders were known as the Magnificent Seven, and, in accordance with the alias of the society (Pyrates), they used to don bandannas like actual pirates. Funnily enough, the ideas behind the society were non-violent and can even be considered patriotic, until they split in the late 1960s, which led to the formation of other societies, including the Buccaneers, by the breakaway students. The formation of these other societies naturally led to rivalry, with each society jostling for the place of being the most feared and powerful. Hence, violence (mostly exhibited through retaliation) was introduced to the cult societies, a far cry from what the original founders intended them to be. In an interview with the BBC, Professor Wole Soyinka described the present-day confraternities as “vile, evil groups”.

 

Indeed, cultism, which originally started as a social group with a common interest or goal (as defined by Wikipedia), has now derailed into some menacing cluster of groups with a mafia-like organization, some of whose activities are even rumored to be sponsored by the top leaders of our nation, Nigeria. Over the years, violent clashes between cults over what would seem to the regular student as trivial matters have resulted in deaths, injuries, and even the closure of some campuses across Nigeria. A report has it that cultism in Nigeria was at its peak in the 1980s and 1990s when Nigeria suffered a series of coups d’etats. In 1991, there was the case of the University of Port Harcourt student (a cult leader, as reports have it) who was beheaded, and his head strung up on a pole at the university’s entrance as a sign of triumph and warning.

 

The 1999 July 10 massacre that happened on Obafemi Awolowo University soil is perhaps the most gruesome cult killing to be recorded in the 1990s. The secretary general of the university’s students union, George Iwilade (popularly known as Afrika), was murdered in his hostel room by unknown men who were reportedly members of the Black Axe confraternity. The other students also killed in the room where Afrika slept were Tunde Oke, Eviano Ekelemu, Yemi Ajiteru, and Efe Ekede. To this day, the five are remembered by each generation of university students, with a commemoration held in their honour yearly on the 10th of July. 

 

Other violent cult clashes have been recorded on campuses across the nation, although the older generation say the cult activities have reduced drastically. Most campuses now exhibit zero tolerance for cult activities, which might be working because in the past decade, little has been heard of cult clashes. Although this author does not wish to utterly dismiss the notion that even some anti-cultism campuses still have cultists within their walls, one must wonder, does it mean that they have grown more peaceful? 

 

Lastly, cult activities are not limited to academic institutions only. It should be noted, dear reader, that young girls and boys in the streets are being recruited daily to join one secret society or the other. Clashes between the cults of different townships similar to mafia wars have been recorded, as well as insider accounts of what really goes on in initiation ceremonies.