The unabated incidence and unrelenting activities of secret cults in the Nigerian educational institutions and the society at large have wrought incalculable havoc on the lives and psyche of Nigerians.

As at 1999, over fifty six secret cults existed in the one hundred and thirty three higher institutions of learning in the country.

They were fast penetrating the nation’s secondary and even primary schools as well people outside the education walls.

Secret cults or secret societies are organisations in which members are usually bound by an oath of secrecy.

These often require elaborate form of initiation and ritual, use of symbols, password and handshakes as a means of recognition among members.

Mainly, they operate in the confines of Nigerian institutions where they have been alleged of being behind violence and sometime harassment of lecturers for different reasons.

However, the confraternity system in Nigeria was not so violent when it was started way back in 1952, during the last years of British colonial rule by a set of young idealistic men.

It began at the University of Ibadan when the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka led the National Association of Seadogs.

These secret societies were later banned in Nigeria when they became notorious with thousands of members arrested and prosecuted over the years.

Nevertheless, they continue to operate, especially off campus enjoying the followership of people who have never been to university and increasingly involving themselves in criminal activities.

For example, in Lagos State several cases of cultists clashes have been recorded where many lives were lost and property running to millions of naira destroyed.

In Rivers State, particularly the oil hub Port Harcourt, cults have been known to recruit teenagers into street gangs that serve as a training ground for membership drive.

Last year April, residents of Lagos and neighbouring Ogun states resolved to forming vigilante groups as reports spread that hundreds of gangster belonging to cult groups such as One Million Boys and Awawa Boys were disturbing the peaceful coexistence of the environment.

Despite all these, there were increase reports on social and traditional media where gangs attack people for reasons best known to them, almost on a daily basis.

To curb this menace, security agencies must come up with strong and anti cultism strategies that would make cultism a thing of the past in society.

All authorities concerned in the nation’s higher institutions should map out strategies of preventing cult members from carrying out membership drive on campuses.

To achieve success in this regard, parents must work closely with the institutions through constant monitoring and supervision of their wards.

More importantly, counselling services in tertiary institutions should be taken seriously as counselors have a major role to play towards implementing programmes for the reduction of cultism in schools.

The role of religious and moral lessons cannot be over-emphasized as they are vital to moulding of the youths who are proverbial leaders of tomorrow in the society.

Mass media print, electronic and online need to embark on regular sensitization and awareness campaign on the dangers of cultism and its effect on development.

Above all, the government at all levels should find a way of empowering uneducated and unemployed youths roaming the streets to prevent them from ending up in practicing cultism all in the name of searching for daily bread.

A stitch in time they say saves nine.

Rasheedah Makinde