Menace of Cultism in Nigeria: A Call for Urgent Collective Action
Menace of Cultism in Nigeria: A Call for Urgent Collective Action
Once seen as a campus-based problem, cultism in Nigeria has grown into a dangerous national crisis. Once cloaked in ideals of activism and social justice, it has now morphed into a violent network of criminal gangs spreading fear, destroying lives, and tarnishing the country’s image.
What began in the 1950s with the Pyrates Confraternity at the University of Ibadan, founded by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and others, was rooted in noble goals opposing colonial oppression, promoting intellectual discourse, and upholding integrity. But over the decades, those ideals have been abandoned. Modern cult groups are now notorious for killings, kidnappings, extortion, drug trafficking, and political violence.
Cultists operate like organised crime rings armed, ruthless, and hungry for control. Rival clashes in places like Rivers and Edo States have left scores dead, with bystanders caught in the crossfire. In one Rivers incident in 2021, at least 20 people were killed. In Benin City the following year, another bloody clash left over 15 dead, with homes and businesses destroyed.
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These groups have expanded their operations into cybercrime, human trafficking, and the illicit arms trade. Teenagers are recruited, exploited, and used as pawns in a deadly cycle. Some cults even act as hired assassins for political or personal vendettas. The damage is not only physical it erodes trust in law enforcement, undermines national security, and feeds negative stereotypes about Nigerians abroad.
The roots of cultism run deep in social and economic problems. High unemployment, poverty, and a lack of opportunities make cult groups appealing to young people. They promise quick money, protection, and a sense of belonging. Without urgent intervention, more youths will be lost to this cycle.
Addressing this crisis requires more than police raids. Nigeria needs a coordinated national response. Anti-cultism laws must be tightened, and cults declared terrorist organisations. Security agencies must be equipped and funded to dismantle their networks. The judiciary must ensure swift prosecution, while rehabilitation programmes should offer ex-cultists vocational training in trades like carpentry, tech skills, and entrepreneurship.
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Equally vital is prevention. Schools and universities must integrate anti-cultism education into their systems, with counselling services warning students about its dangers. Community vigilance groups can work alongside the police to identify and disrupt cult activities. Investment in youth empowerment, education, and job creation is non-negotiable only by giving young Nigerians hope can the lure of cultism be broken.
Cult-related violence claims an estimated 1,000 lives each year lives that could have been doctors, engineers, or innovators. Every killing is a loss to the nation’s future. The persistence of cultism is a mirror reflecting a wider failure in governance, justice, and leadership.
If Nigeria is to secure its future, the culture of impunity must end. The government, communities, and citizens must work together to root out cultism. Only then can the youth the supposed leaders of tomorrow inherit a nation worth leading.
Content Credit : Blessing Dada
Image Credit : Google Search.Com
