Taming the monster, cultism, in Nigeria
Cultism is a cankerworm has taken a negative, if not disastrous toll on Nigeria, with its dibilitating effects, leaving bitter taste in the mouths of citizens.
A system which started as far back as 1952 in then famous University College, Ibadan in Oyo State for positive things for its members in the campus, has been hijacked today by hoodlums outside the campuses and now holds sway in our communities, as well as along the streets.
The current cultists are bloodthirsty and commit all manners of atrocities in and around their communities, littering casualties as they operate.
A recent case in point is the gruesome murder of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Rivers State. The dare-devil cultists did not only kill the brave and patriotic police officer, they butchered and dismembered their victim, for reasons best known to them.
In fact, it has been estimated that over 475 casualties were recorded between January, 2021 and July, 2023 in Nigeria as a result of cultism.
Though the Police has declared the prime suspect in this dastardly act indentified as Gift Okpara of Odumude Community, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State wanted, and have also arrested some suspects in connection with the crime, it is still obvious that cultism has devastated the entire social life of Nigerians.
It is important to look at possible causes of cultism in the country. First is poor parentage.
This particular factor is key to grooming misfits, urchins, hoodlums and outright criminals, who turn to torment the society, including the families they come from. There have been cases, where children that fall under the aforementioned categories maim or kill their parents in the name of cultism.
This is a fallout of parents divorced statutory responsibilities to either chase money or other frivolities at the expense of proper upbringing of their children and wards.
Other causes are inferiority complex, protection, peer influence and quest for unmerited materialism, among several others. Apart from these possible causes, unemployment, illiteracy, celebration of ill-gotten wealth and so on also fuel the menace of cultism.
It is an open secret that cultism and its likes have often resulted to breakdown of law and order, violence and social instability, leading to maiming, killing of innocent citizens, and of course, loss of properties. And because the perpetrators of this so-called cultism are enmeshed in hard drugs, the extent they can cause mayhem is usually unimaginable. Most of the banditry, kidnappings and outright insurgency are perpetrated by the cultists, hence the need to curtail or exterminate the crime.
At this juncture, it is important to look at remedies to this ignoble trade called cultism. First and foremost, repentant cultists should be properly rehabilitated by relevant authorities. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) can play a major role in this mission work, since cultism and drug abuse are interwoven.
The religious bodies can also do a lot in bringing back these lost souls, who have wandered away or rather have been confused by this ill-wind called cultism through their positive preachings and counseling.
The government, private entities can as a deliberate policy create jobs. At least when the employable are employed, we can now decipher the chaff from the wheat. What that means is that the protracted embargo on employment by governments at all levels should be lifted to absorb higher percentage of the army of unemployed in Nigeria.
Our academic curriculum should also be reviewed and tailored towards enterpreneuship to produce job creators, rather than job seekers.
We equally posit that our National Assembly, State and even Local Governnment Legislative Assemblies should come up with employment creating legislations, to ease off unemployment and its attendant effects on the society.
Our law enforcement agencies on their part, should be decisive in their bid to tackling cultism and other sundry crimes.
We strongly suggest that more intelligence should be applied in crime fighting than what is obtainable currently. A situation where our law enforcement agencies are always chasing after criminals when crimes have been committed and enough damage done, is to say the least, obsolete.
Let us begin to see crimes being nipped in the bud like it is done in other climes. After all, the country is blessed with abundant material and human resources, there should be no excuses whatsoever. A crime free society is achievable and all hands must be on deck to achieve the vision.
