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Beginning in the 1930s, cults became the object of
sociological study in the context of the study of religious and cultural behavior.
From the 1940s the Christian countercult movement has opposed some sects and new religious movements , and it labelled them as cults for their "un-Christian" unorthodox beliefs .
The secular anti-cult movement began in the 1970s and it opposed certain groups, often charging them with mind control and partly motivated in reaction to acts of violence committed by some of their members.
Some of the claims and actions of the anti-cult movement have been disputed by scholars and by the news media, leading to further public controversy.
The term "new religious movement" refers to religions which have appeared since the mid-1800s. Many, but not all of them, have been considered to be cults.
Sub-categories of cults include: Doomsday cults , personality cults , political cults, destructive cults, racist cults, polygamist cults, and terrorist cults. Various national governments have reacted to cult-related issues in different ways, and this has sometimes led to controversy.
Today, the upsurge of inter-fraternal violence in the society, precisely in Edo State, is a big disappointment and embarrassment not only to the people as a whole but the government in particular.
In Benin City, the subcategory is likened to "destructive cultism practices and abuse of freedom of the people".
As the foreign and local media report the wave of these shameful and cowardly acts of this fraternity, it impinges on the image of our dear state and further put the people in bad spotlight.
I believe it is high time the government began to address this matter afresh and not be tired or give up the campaign against the deadly killings pulling the youths out of sort.
Section (14) subsection (2) article (b) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly States that, the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
But today the government, hasn't done enough to protect the lives of its citizenry even though the government is not accountable for the choice of joining.
The only thing that perhaps make sense to the government is political campaigning, winning elections and looting our common patrimony.
State Governors by the virtue of section (176:2) of Nigeria constitution are presumably the chief security officers of their state, receives and syphon billions of naira of tax payers monies without providing adequate security apparatus for the security of citizens.
Although there are attempts made by some Governors to tame the ugly trends but not enough to do it theoretically without engaging it practically.
It should be recalled that sometime ago, the federal government rose up to this challenge of ridding our campuses and societies of these nefarious and devilish groups, but as it were, they have staged a come back.
There is no doubt about the fact that cultism is very old in the society particularly across our institutions.
Throw back in our various home, our early fathers got involved in fraternity which seems to have precipitated across their descendants. But then they were never involved in sporadic gun metering as though
The institutions that were designed as centre of excellence to showcase erudition and scholarship through the calibre of graduates that are to be produced in order to take over the reins of leadership of the country some day have tuned out to be a sort of concentration camp, which is totally in pariah and at variance with laudable aim of establishing these institutions.
The fact remains that the mystery in which cultism is enshrouded is something that calls for urgent attention.
In the early days when cultism made its way into the higher institutions, events reflected that it served more as a catalyst and change oriented movement.
Not immoral acts undertaken by a bunch of "never-do-wells".
My understanding as at that time was that, the people involved in this movement were great people ,highly intelligent unlike the criminals of today who create menace and wreak havoc on the campuses and their host communities.
Initiations of member cult groups was done on merits
To avoid mentioning names, there are quite a number of great and very successful people in the society today who were members of the fraternities on the campuses in their days.
These people are captains of organisations, academics and very great and successful business moguls today; and some with big time international reputations who were agents of change.
It is so shameful, however, that the purposes for which these higher institutions of learning are established in these communities have been defeated.
Enrollments of riffraff suddenly changed the narratives that you could barely separate the corn from the shaft.
Higher institutions in well organised societies are the centres of socioeconomic and political activities.
Cultism and cult activities have become an unpleasant development thus militating against the genuine intention of the government in bringing about development in the host communities.
It is germane that the presence of the higher institutions in these communities provides employment for the people and to promote both economic and social life, disappointedly though, the institutions have now turned out to be booby traps or what could be tagged Frankenstein.
Paradoxically, where character reformation ought to take place, knowledge acquisition and skills for future responsibility has lost its essence.
The people can’t even settle down to enjoy any of the booty the institutions ought to provide due to the incessant clashes among the rival cult groups.
Rather, they have only succeeded in destabilising the peace once enjoyed in these communities.
The unending crises and nightmare they create as a matter of the unending clashes on the our metropolis, with their out falls affecting the peace of the community, make members of the community run and take cover in distant places or in some neighbouring communities.
And this makes it impossible for them to stay in their once save haven. Then what is the point in citing an institution in a place and the people can no longer enjoy their peace?
The devilish and nefarious activity of the cultists on the streets is growing at an alarming rate and becoming increasingly worrisome.
The maiming, the raping, the kidnap even the killing and many other of such are matters of urgent concern to be addressed.
This group represents nothing but evil due to their destructive tendencies.
It is heartbreaking seeing our fellow country man launch such dastard attacks against each other for no concrete reasons.
But then, it Is not terrorism, boko harram, herdsmen killing farmers; but a brother killing his fellow brother, neighbor killing his neighbor, and Edo man killing his fellow Edo man.
The question that arises is that who are those behind these devious acts, who are their sponsors? Considering the effort of the government in past years to rid our society of cultism, it appeared as soon as they went into the lull and quietude for a while; they resurfaced in a more profound and stronger dimension.
What exactly accounts for all of this? And in God’s name what could be responsible?
The destructive and lawless activities of these unscrupulous elements all in the name of cultists call for a special attention on the part of the government as it were.
The activities of this group should not be left unchecked.
The dreadful aura created around this group has turned them to gods on the busy streets that they constitute an authority on their own.
They can do and undo and can decide the fate of anybody with careless abandonment. Why do I choose to say this?
Information had shown at some point that some rectors, members of the senate (of a particular University) and at other times, some members of the authority of some institutions have fled when they were threatened by some cult members on the campus.
What an irony! When the one who is vested with the authority and power to check and maintain law and order suddenly becomes the one to be checked.
For me I believe something here is fundamentally wrong. It is so bad that some political stalwarts engage the services of some cultists to harass opponents.
In fact, a case in point recently, was an encounter with some fraternity who were said to have disrupted local government elections in the country.
The menaces of cultism and cult activities have blown up to an alarming proportion. Recent activities of the cultists have been on the increase at Upper Sokponba axis
It was reported that some cult groups openly advertise their wares sourcing for prospective membership unchecked.
The cult activities have taken an unusual dimension of wild and animalistic tone where students and lecturers are victims such as the report of incessant rape, murder, kidnap and abduction, manhandling, stealing and terrorism and some other illicit acts to mention but a few.
The consequence of this menace is grave in that it hampered academic work, teaching and research, Socioeconomic life around the state.
It has resulted in mass exodus of our youths to neighboring state and must not be allowed to thrive on without it being checked.
Otherwise, the fear is that the group can reconstitute and reinforce themselves for a stiffer and deadlier confrontation.
There is no doubt that a number of factors are responsible for these untoward and irresponsible acts on the part of this group.
Apart from the challenge of peer pressure that is very rife and which through findings accounts for quite a large proportion of the people in this group, some other people have suggested that the negative values and attitude inherited by the youth are largely responsible for cultism; there are other factors that have to do with the role of parents at home-by this I mean the neglect of parents with regards to their wards.
A particular percentage of these people are victims of bad upbringing who found the fraternity as succour in the sense of acceptance and of belongingness.
Bad parental background, indiscipline at the home front, frustration on the part of the students is further accountable for this deviant life style.
A lot of social factors are quite responsible for all this illegitimate act of the fraternity.
The crux of the matter is that the higher institution may not be able reform or remould characters that have been completely formed from their homes.
The moral laxity and the gross indiscipline both at home and in schools appear to be at the root of the growth of cultism.
At this point I think the authorities of the institutions should be empowered the more through the intervention of the Federal Government to wipe out cultism from the society.
Positive steps should be taken to identify cultists among the society. The Government at all levels should be involved.
The government should strengthen the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Public Prosecution, the Police, the State Secret Service and other relevant law enforcement agents to combat and curb this anti social behaviour.
The Ministry of Information, churches, CSOs, Community Leaders, should be in the fore front to launch a great campaign and regular commentaries and features in the dailies to lampoon, lambaste and repudiate this craze that is maiming and killing our students.
We must collectively play our roles in the fight against destructive cultism practices and bring back peace to the state.
It may not be easy initially but if the tempo is heightened, maintained and sustained, in no time this nonsense will be laid to rest.
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