CULTISM IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

CULTISM

Things you should know before you decide

Fraternities and Confraternities explained simply is a brotherhood, |They exist to foster brotherhood, collect aspirations and pursue noble goals providing platforms with opportunities for active participation building. Fraternities encouraged in our higher institutions are suppose to promote active intellectualism with demand for a lifetime of sacrifice for the sake of humanity.

cultism and violence

The term cultism which is mostly used in our institutions seems to have sadly lost their founders ways derailing from a Benigan cult (i.e. the good guys) to a destructive cult (i.e. the bad guys). They engage in physical violence either on self or others and are suspected to engage in rituals and quasi-ritual practices. They are now marked with shame and have become secret as no legal system supports them and their activities. Some of the names that comes to mind when cultism in our higher institutions of learning is mentioned are:-The Pyrites confraternity, The Buccaneer confraternity, Eiye confraternity, Neo-Black Movement of Africa, Vikings, The Mafia, Daughters of Jezebel, Black Braziers, Mgba Mgba, Amazon.

With respect to the founders of the groups, you must know that not all was founded on blood and violence, but some started with noble ideas, for example:-

Ø The Pyrites which was the first in Nigeria was formed to fight moribund convention, neocolonialism, tribalism and at the same time defend humanistic ideals while promoting comradeship and chivalry amongst its members

The Pyrites

Ø Buccaneers broke out of the pyrites for reasons unclear to me but maintained the same goals.

Ø Eiye came to promote a balance for physical and mental development with emphasis on sports and academic excellence.

Ø Neo-Black was formed with determination to hold and restore the culture, dignity and pride of the black man.Their catalyst was the Sharperille and Soveto Massacre in South Africa. They established a newspaper called “the black axe” (named euphemistically as the axe with which to cut the white man and those keeping the black man bondage) this name is today the synonym of the movement but not the goals

Aye Black Axe

Ø Vikings and The Mafia were believed to have been created by the government during the regime of General Babangida for the purpose of fighting student unionism and of the self succession program of Gen. Babangida and that of late Gen. sani Abacha; the truths of this claims though, I am yet to confirm.

Ø The daughters of jezebel and the Black Blazers (Bra) were both female responses to the pervasive male chauvinism and determination on campus combined with the coincidental interest of the girl friends of members of the male groups.

Female cult groups

Today these groups have clearly lost the virtues of their founders as recruiter no longer go for scholars with great potentials but for the criminally minded, they are today known for violence and all manner of indecent characters like smoking, robbery, rape, intimidation etc.  the best decision of any student has been to stay away from such groups and their activities, although they would come with empty promises and tales of the founders that they no longer honour, expulsion is now only the genesis of the consequences that follows such association .

Cult related activities have taken the lives of not less than 2000 students in two decades across the nation's higher institutions of learning and more than five percent of students who joined were killed either before or at graduation.

Nigerian Student Cultism

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Cultism today, is one great challenge to our institutions of learning as the menace they pose to society is increasingly getting out of hands yearly. I advise you SAY NO TO CULTISM; I believe if its secret, then it can't be good. 

Say "No" to cultism