Universities and cultism

lt used to be the assembly of  initiated “ bad boys” later the daughters of eve also joined and they advanced by  taking oath and covenanting themselves with destructive urge. They are members of various cult groups .Over the years  they have become the  bastion of insecurity in many universities in Nigeria and have branched  into the larger society . They come in different groupings, dressing codes and operational methods. Cult members hold the ace in many universities and have graduated into robbery, kidnapping and other social ill in the society. The history of cultism began in early sixties with the establishment of Pirates confraternity. The group was mere activist in organisation as was seen as the “ evil” power brokers.
They were faceless and held meetings only in the darkness of the night. Pirates confraternity infiltrated all the first generation Universities across the country. They intimidate both students and lecturers and instill fear as people are in awe of their presence. Being member marks one out as brave and strong. Unfortunately, many of the members did not drop their membership, but extended their lifestyle to their public life after graduation.
Many have risen to heights in public and private life and clicked to Idiosyncrasies   that exist among them. Finger eye signs help to easily identify one another. As at the last count, there are over 50 different confraternities operating in higher institutions across the country. Entering most Nigerian Universities, you hear names like: the Brotherhood of the Blood (also known as Two-Two (Black Beret)), the Victor Charlie Boys, Vikings, Second Son of Satan (SSS), Night Cadet, Sonmen, Mgba Mgba Brothers, Temple of Eden, Trojan Horse, Jurists, White Bishops, Gentlemen Clubs, Fame, Executioners, Dreaded Friend of Friends, Eagle Club, Black Scorpion, Red Sea Horse, Fraternity of FrienIn the late 1990s, all-female confraternities began to be formed.
These include the Black Brazier (Bra Bra), the Viqueens, Daughters of Jezebel, and the Damsel. Female confraternities have supplied spies for allied male confraternities as well as acting as prostitution syndicates. Many of them like their male counterparts were products of government institutions and few private Institutions where discipline is lacking. Exemplary institutions like University of llorin  (Federal) and Afe  Babalola University ( private) rank tops among the no- go areas for these cult members.
One notable and memorable incident was the massacre of students of Obafemi Awolowo University   in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, which took place on July 10, 1999 and It resulted in the deaths of five people leaving eleven injured, all students of OAU. It was perpetrated by an organized death squad of 40 members of the Black Axe Confraternity branch at the university. They invaded the Awolowo Hall of the university very early in the morning clad in black trousers and black T-shirts, they were masked and armed with shotguns and machetes against fellow students. Even after that heinous operation, many other cults are breeding and have developed into arms carrying.
Today, members of these university cults have easy access to dangerous arms. In all of these, it is becoming difficult for security agencies to infiltrate their fold, as some of the security personnel were once staunch members of the group thereby making their arrest impossible. Not too long ago, a senior advocate of Nigeria was kidnapped. After his release, he told the world that his captors were university cult members. This confession has brought to the fore the need for strong police presence in our tertiary institutions. It is known that during the military era, there was a government ban of physical presence of police in higher institutions due to the incessant clashes between security agencies especially Mobile police and student unions. This ban not withstanding needs to be reviewed. The country has evolved in all dimensions so are the activities of students who have easy access to procuring firearms.
Also with globalisation of the world community and the increasing influence of criminality among youths, it becomes apparent that security agencies should put an eye on the activities of students. lt is also important that retired security personnel should be employed as security guards in every higher institution. The police authority should create a unit in all state commands with the mandate to handle only student cases. It is also important for university commission to partner with the security agencies and fashion out ways to curb the growing trend in student involvement in kidnap and robbery cases around the country.
Today, there is palpable fear in the land.  Only recently some school pupils were kidnapped and our security agencies are carrying on as if nothing has happened. The people are so afraid because it seems no one is reassuring them of their safety. When they are not sleeping with their eyes closed, they are not sure of walking around the streets without someone halting and evacuating them like a log into a waiting vehicle to an unknown hideout, only to start the process of demanding for huge sums of ransom. It is so sad that students are found to be behind most kidnap cases. It is very worrisome. These are the ominous signs that the days are evil.  The question that needs to be asked is, how did we get to this point. How did water enter the vegetable soup? What where the things we did not do or plan well in our school curriculum. Whose fault?, is it the government , our parents, our religious leaders or the society (that is our educational institutions).
There is a rot in our social set up and this must be corrected. Suddenly, the police would want us to over clap for them just because of the arrest of one kidnapper as if that ab-initially isn’t their constitutional duty. How come, kidnapping has suddenly become the most lucrative crime among our youths? The answer is not far fetched. Kidnapping is the singular easiest means of robbing a man of huge money without firing a bullet.  Though violent, yet ,  the captors go home with huge sums of money, most times without hurting their victims. It is time to address the problem frontally. There is no passing the bulk; our society is responsible for the decay we have suddenly found ourselves in.
Take the case of the billionaire kidnapper Chukwudubem Onwuamadike Evans; he was not living in the space, but among people. He goes to church and has friends. Who amongst those around him would say they do not have an inkling of the type of work he dies for a living? . The responsibility of members of the public is very important in the fight against crime in our society. A clan that keeps quiet after seeing something, and prefers not to say anything would face the consequences. A retired aged woman was always seeing two students in uniform dropping a long bag every morning in an abandoned car along the street opposite her house. She found that their activities were frequent, and she had no option than to call in the local police. Later she was told, the boys are part of a robbery gang operating in a suburb in the town and that the bag contains the guns they used always.  Imagine the number of innocent people that the old woman has saved their lives by reporting her experience to the police. This ought to be our new way of thinking. When we notices any suspicious thing in our neighborhood, the onus is on us to report to the nearest police station. There is no crime that cannot be exposed, it only takes courage.