PREVALENCE, CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS OF CULTISM AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Globally in every higher institution of learning, there are in existence different types of secret ritual groups which are manipulated in the articulation of group functions for a variety of social and political purposes (Opaluwah, 2009). To Opaluwah (2009), one positive thing about these societies is that they do not harm unless provoked and they could serve as an instrument for cleansing the society of any cultural debris. The secret cult phenomenon is not new in Africa. As Aguda (1997) has observed, activities of secret cults like Human Leopards and Human crocodiles, have been recorded in central Africa. In Nigeria, secret cults have always existed in many parts of the country (Adelola, 1997). Among the Yoruba people within the southwest region one can find the Ogboni secret Cult. Among the Efiks of the South eastern part of Nigeria can be found the Ekpe Secret Cult (Adelola, 1997). Also the Ekine Cult is to be found in the Delta region while the Edo of the mid west has the Owegbe cult (Adelola, 1997).

The emergence of cult activities in tertiary institutions in Nigeria can be traced back to early 1950s. According to Opaluwah (2000), what is known as campus cultism in tertiary institutions started at the University College, Ibadan (now called the University of Ibadan) Nigeria in 1952, when the institution was still a satellite campus of University of London. It was formed by Nigeria’s only Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, and six others who founded the Pirates Confraternity. The other six are Olumuyiwa Awe, Ralph Opara, Tunji Tubi, Aigimokhuede, Pius Olegbe and Olu Agunloye (Opaluwah, 2000). In the words of Udoh & Ikezu (2015), the pirates confraternity cult group which have the skulls and cross bones as logo was formed with the aim of producing future Nigeria leaders who should be very proud of their Africa heritage, revive the age of chivalry and end tribalism, elevate the social life of the university campus where orderliness and discipline could be planted in the mind of the students/youths who were expected to be future leaders in the Nigeria elitism. According to Rotimi (2005), the activities of pirates confraternity or National association of sea dogs was healthy, fun and harmless. Confraternity was seen as part of social life of the university that existed then. Also there was no form of   taking oath of secrecy, no binding of blood and the identities of members were known to both students and staff (Rotimi, 2005). In addition, Lasisi & Edun (1999) asserted that early confraternities commanded the respect and ration of many people until the graduation of the founding fathers after which internal wrangling and power tussle began to rent the organization which led to the formation of opposing groups such as buccaneers, Eiye confraternity etc.

In defining cultism, Azelama, Alude and Imhonda (2000), noted that cult is an assemblage of people united by certain ideas or symbols and whose rites and ceremonies of veneration are unique and shrouded in mysteries with a secrecy that cannot be broken.  According to Ogunade (2008), secret cult is an enclosed organized association of group devoted to the same cause.  It is an enclosed group having an exclusive sacred ideology and series of rites centred on their secret symbols. Cultism can be viewed as a ritual practice by a group of people whose membership, admission, policy and initiation formalities as well as their mode of operation are done in secret, with their activities having negative effects on both members and non-members alike (Ajayi, 2015). According to Oxford Concise Dictionary of Sociology (1996), cultism can be seen as a small group or religious activities whose beliefs are typically secret, esoteric and individualistic.

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