Generally, humans are referred to as ‘social animals’; please don’t feel offended already…it is only a notion to explain our dear and perpetual need for interaction and formation of identity.
From time immemorial, our species have always longed to be part of a group or movement that not only matter in the scheme of things, but that has enough influence to navigate and ensure our individual survival and long or short term aspirations.
However, the ideas of ‘collectivism’ and ‘group identity’ have been froth with a lot of vices, immoral and unethical excesses by those who belong to some of the groups.
The emerging trend of cult groups amongst young people, especially within the four walls of an educational institution is alarming.
Although, it is rampant in higher institutions across the world and has become a permanent feature in Nigerian campuses, however, tertiary institutions are not alone in the ‘unholy’ association; the rate at which secondary school students are getting involved in cultism is increasing at an alarm rate.
It is a truism that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow but of now, however, the troubling question is – How did these leaders get involved in this unholy unison?
Paul Omo obadan reports that if something is not done promptly to check the trend, the society stands the risk of being saddled with the burden of a substantial dysfunctional youth population.
In schools noted for cultism, teachers come under frequent threats. This leads to a decline in the school general academic calendar.
A good number of cultists have been accused of robbery, rape, harassment and intimidation of teachers (to mention but a few). Some have also been used by politicians to cause crisis in a bid to achieve their selfish game.
Come to think of it, how do teenagers between the ages 13-17 even have the courage to join or form cult group?
It’s Simple, they have seen people around them do it and are influenced, probably because they have a huge physique or out of sheer desire to feel among and impress their peers.
One can only wonder what a student who threatens to kill his or her teacher in secondary school will do when he or she eventually gets into institutions of higher learning.
Recently, social media was agog with the viral video of an 11-year-old cultist notoriously known as ‘SHANAWOLE’.
Check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKgQRmHxP5Q
If not for the timely intervention of popular pastor – Tony Rapu, Shanawole was a tsunami waiting to happen. His nuisance value to the society had literally overshot the boundaries of international billboards and charts.
He was a member of the eiye confranternity and a drug addict, especially to marijuana, skunk and other related street drugs. According to him, if anyone offends him or his group, his primary responsibility is to kill the person. So shocking right??? That is an 11 year-old-boy!
From Ijora Badia, Apapa Iganmu to railway line in bariga, Kadin in Fadeyi to Shipeolu in Shomolu, all in Lagos, residents live in fear as these gangs walk freely in broad day light with different weapons like knives, machete and gun as being used by the now dreaded badoo cult that is terrorising ikorodu in Lagos.
Who can then be blamed for these?
Well, this is not the time to engage in the luxury of cooling off, or to take the tranquilising drug of gradualism. This is the time for all stakeholders – Parents, Teachers/Schools, Religious Institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations ( NGOs ) and our honourable legislators in the hallowed chamber to collaborate to end the embarrassing menace of cultism in our society.
Everyone has a role to play in making the future better; if something is not done soon to check cultism in schools and on the streets, then we all would be condemned to an insecurity society.
