Secret cult is an organisation or a
small group whose activities are unknown to others.
The activities take place in exclusive locations and at unusual times.
The origin of the secret
cults in the Nigerian universities is traced back to the Pirates Confraternity, also known as National Association of Sea Dogs. The group began
at the University
of Ibadan in 1953 with the
skull and crossbones as its logo.
The groups that sprang up
from the Pirates Confraternity include Black Axe, Vikings, Bucaneers, Mafia,
Dragons, Black Beret and a host of others. The female cults include, Temple of Eden, Frigates, Barracudas, and
Daughters of Jezebel. Some of the most
popular female secret cults are Black Braziers, Amazons, Jezebels, and White
Pants.
Why Young People Join Cults Groups
Students are attracted to cult groups for a variety of
reasons. Some join in order to have a
sense of belonging and the need to be well connected. Others may join because
of the need for financial assistance, to secure girl friends or for self-protection.
Some are attracted because they are curious or seeking after meaning or love.
Some get
involved due to the following reasons:
They want
to gain popularity on the campus
To prove
themselves as thugs
To intimidate
lecturers to award them pass marks
To get out
of trouble with the school authority when they go wrong
To harass
and humiliate any one on the campus without being questioned.
Recruitment
Targets for
recruitment include tall and masculine students, as well as those who are quiet
and reserved. Others are children of professors, judges, politicians, senior
police officers and so on. The status of their parents guarantees them some
protection from the law enforcement agents in the event that they get into
trouble.
The ability
to use weapons, and to consume alcohol and use drugs is required. In most cases,
new recruits must demonstrate the ability to bear pain.
For the
prospective female cultists, wearing of provocative dresses that accentuate
natural curves and contours is required. They must also be able to display an
unusual bravado during quarrel with uninitiated female students. A prospective
female cultist must be a smoker of all brands of cigarettes, she must be able
to consume all kinds of alcohol, she must be familiar with and, if possible,
possess a pistol or an axe. She must also be rich, bold and have very “big” men
friends. To guarantee her acceptance, she must pass the torture test. Being a
lesbian is an added advantage. She must also cultivate the habit of wearing jeans.
She must possess a wardrobe of weird attires that can make heads turn whenever
she passes by.
Initiation
Initiation
takes place mostly in the middle of the night at strange places, especially on
rocks, cemeteries or other hidden places within the campus. During such
ceremonies, cultists present new members to their leaders.
The first
step in the initiation process is swearing an oath of allegiance and secrecy. During
an initiation ceremony, the initiates have their eyes closed and some
incantations are recited. The initiates receive thorough beating as a means of
toughening them and testing their endurance for pain.
During initiation,
candidates drink some concoctions mixed with blood or other strange liquids. They
may receive some tough assignments like raping a very popular female student or
a female member of the university staff.
For the female
cultists, their initiation may include disgusting sexual acts or mission to
seduce a tough lecturer/staff. They may also be asked to fight with other girls
or strong boys. They may receive thorough flogging as well.
During the initiation,
new members learn to communicate with other members in coded language.
The initiated then
participate in the activities of the cult.
The activities
include harassing fellow students, frustrating lecturers and humiliating erring
members. Others are robbery, killing, and raping. Cultists indulge in exam
malpractices, smoking, drunkenness, hooliganism and clashes between rival
groups over boy or girl friends. They go
about with knives, guns, axes, spears, or charms and other arms, claiming to be
protecting themselves or as “fight back weapons.”
If they say,
“Come along with us, let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood,
let’s waylay
some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive,
like the
grave, and whole like those who go down to the pit;
we will get
all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
throw in your
lot with us, and we will share a common purse” –
my son, do not
go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
for their feet
rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood
(Proverbs 1:10-16).
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