DAUD OLATUNJI chronicles the growing incidence of cultism among secondary school students in Ogun State and the attendant negative effects...

Students and artisans below age 20 now find fantasy in cultism. They brandish weapons anyhow and anywhere. Anyone who feels uncomfortable and attempts to scold or stop them end up a victim. Cultism has successfully crept into secondary schools across Ogun State with teachers resolving to mind their business and look away whenever the students (who are supposed to be under their care) display their skills in cultism.

Investigation has shown that schools have become havens for cultism as initiation into various groups take place on the premises of public schools. Many artisans such as carpenters, automobile mechanics and bricklayers, among others, are not left out in the mad rush to join deadly cults.

Recent developments in many parts of Ogun State indicate that the pendulum has swung from tertiary institutions to secondary schools. While tertiary educational institutions are not completely free of the menace, teenagers who may have been initiated by old cultists in tertiary institutions now hold sway in various secondary schools across the state.

Recently, no fewer than 20 persons were reportedly killed, while several others sustained varying degrees of injury during cult clashes in some parts of Ijebu Ode. The clashes started about 2 weeks ago and left no fewer than 20 persons, including the innocent, dead. Members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities were reportedly involved in the clashes, which subjected residents of Ijebu Ode and its environs to serious panic.

Findings showed that affected areas included Epe garage, Ejinrin Road, Adefisan, Ibadan garage, Onirugba, Tatina and the old Benin-Ondo Road, among others. It was learnt a woman and her daughter, who were in a commercial tricycle, were shot dead during a clash by cultists. Our correspondent gathered that members of a rival cult targeted the tricycle rider, who belonged to another group.

It was further gathered that members of the dreaded group also killed an apprentice after his arm had been chopped off during another clash. Several persons were reportedly killed at Epe garage, Ejinrin Road, Ibadan garage and Adefisan during the clashes, which forced residents and passers-by to run helter-skelter. It was further gathered that other persons lost their lives in Onirugba, old Benin-Ondo Road and Oke-Owa areas of the town.

Two persons were reportedly killed behind a popular hotel in Oke-Aje, Ijebu Ode. The cultists reportedly engaged in daylight shooting of their rivals and in the process killed some innocent persons in the area. Also in some parts of Abeokuta, the state capital, and Ado-Odo/Ota, cultists have thrown caution to the wind and unleash terror.

The National Schools Crimes Prevention Corps (NSCPC), a non-governmental organisation, has described the issue of cultism in Ogun State as worrisome, dreadful and scary. Commandant of the NSCPC, Dr Ige Folayinka, who provided statistics of cult activities in secondary schools in the state, said in the last few months, there have been rising activities of cultists in Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro, Ado-Odo, Sango Ota and other cities.

Folayinka said it had been a tale of students in secondary schools attacking one another with weapons and charms. A week ago, many students were stabbed during a violent clash that ensued between two schools at the back of the skating ground in Panseke, Abeokuta. The clash happened shortly after the school hour as some students of notable schools around the area, who were in uniforms, threw caution to the wind. One of the students was reportedly badly injured and is on admission in an undisclosed hospital and on the verge of losing his sight.

Folayinka disclosed that pupils of two prominent schools in Abeokuta, who had been at daggers drawn in the Ita-Eko area of Abeokuta had a serious fight that attracted ‘allied forces’ from neighbouring schools to support one of the schools. The fight left a tale of woes, bloodletting and maiming as weapons such as daggers, axes and charms were recovered.

A notorious gang of students reportedly invaded a particular school on motorcycles, ordered a female teacher they met on the ground to go on her knees, after which they allegedly removed the school’s signpost. It took the intervention of the crime prevention outfit corps, who went after them, to recover the signpost. It was further gathered that during one of the clashes, a student had one of his ears nearly chopped off and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Chronicling the menace of cultism in secondary schools in the state, Folayinka said no fewer than 2,500 students had been arrested for cultism. He added that over 250 schools in the state had been visited for enlightenment. He explained that many secondary school students, who are cultists, had been arrested for various offences, including possession of firearms, attacking teachers with charms, setting school buildings ablaze and smoking of weed, among others.

Folayinka stated, “A teacher was attacked with a charm by a student, which led to loss of memory. We have arrested students with AK-47 live bullets, knives, axes and swords. In fact, we arrested a student, who is a cultist and who attempted to kill his teacher with a charmed ring. We were called by the principal of the school that one of the students wanted to kill a teacher with a charm. We interviewed all the students and fortunately, we got the student and he confessed to the plan.

“A student double-crossed his teacher, because he almost used her car to knock him down. A student in the Oke-Ilewo area wanted to burn down a school. Another 12 students were arrested for attempting to burn down their school.”

On efforts made so far to prevent and curb the menace of cultism in schools, Folayinka said the NSCPC, which began operation 9 years ago, did not have the power to arrest and prosecute, adding that what the corps was doing was to arrest the student cultists and rehabilitate them.

He stated, “We go after them and after we arrest them, we take them to their principals, who will identify them, and we take them to our office for 2 weeks’ rehabilitation programme. But, we do it after we have invited their parents and they agree we should go ahead with the rehabilitation. We release them after our clinical psychologist has certified them. They sign an affidavit and we release them.”

Giving statistics of cultists the command has arrested, the state police command disclosed it had arrested over 500 members of various cults between 2019 and 2020. State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, attributed cultism to kidnapping, armed robbery, murder and other violent crimes. He added that the command arrested no fewer than 432 cultists in various locations in the state in 2019, while over 100 had been arrested in 2020.

He said some of the arrested cultists, who repented, were given amnesty and reintegrated into society. “No fewer than 432 cultists were arrested and prosecuted in 2019. We screened those found guilty of cult-related activities and they were sent to courts for prosecution. Without a doubt, a country that entrusts its future in the hands of youths imbued with the very essence and orientation of cultism, is one without the right compass for growth and development. At this stage of our national life, we need youths with the right values and orientation to take the country to greater heights of competitiveness, recognition and respect in the comity of nations.

A few weeks ago, men of the state police command arrested 5 suspected members of a dreaded cult with the corpse of a young man suspected to be a cultist too. The suspects, Babatunde Shittu, 25; Ayobami Morenikeji, 15; Fidelis John, 23; Abdullah Adegbenro, 17; and Oyeyemi Bakare, 20, were arrested at Ilo Awela in Sango, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state. Police PRO in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said they were arrested following a distress call received at the Sango Area Command headquarters.

He said the police were told a group of cultists were seen with a male corpse in a tricycle heading towards Ota with all of them holding weapons like cutlasses, cudgels and sticks. According to him, upon the distress call, the Area Commander, Sango Ota, ACP Monday Agbonnika, quickly mobilised patrol team to the area, where the hoodlums were met on rampage destroying people’s property and stealing from innocent members of the public on the Ilo Awela Road.

The PPRO added that the hoodlums had, before arrival of the police, damaged a Highlander SUV with number plate KJA 275GD belonging to one Emmanuel Adekoya. Oyeyemi said the corpse had been recovered from them and deposited at Ifo General Hospital’s mortuary.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/ogun-battles-cultism-headache-in-secondary-schools-as-teenage-cultists-unleash-terror/

E don tey....

Omo. this shii too long can someone pls summary?

Support Nigeria Niger republic unity now.

We need to Merge into one country for a better Nigeria and Africa

Gone are those days when you have to be in higher institutions before you can bam

Too bad, these young boys are meant to be leaders of tomorrow

This is serious

Life na once o. If you die as a cultist, nothing you gain o. E for better you die as a soldier for Nigeria let them shoot 21gunshots for you

We r looking for companies n cooperative societies that want to buy n share RICE for their staffs this season.


50Kg bag is 22,500

Min order: 5 bags

Location: Lagos but can be delivered anywhere

I remember the last time I was in Ijebuode, there was a mini curfew as a result of some cult lashes that have been brewing in town.

I trekked that day, no be small.

Something needs to be done about cultism in Ijebu urgently.

Hmn

These rats are just laboratory experimental rats

Unfortunately many of these poor kids don't have Sense

The rich are using children of the poor to do their selfish and dirty/violent jobs while the children of politicians,drug dealers,technocrats and professors are in Cambridge, Oxford and Havard university studying

The rich will give these ignorant filthy rats guns and weed to destroy their Political enemies.when they finish their assignments they won't collect their guns and ammunitions back and thats what they'll use in killing themselves

Youths listen to me,any man or woman giving you gun to kill his real or perceived enemies and not give you money, opportunity, empowerment or connection to rise up, start a buisness or go to school doesn't love you and doesn't give a damn about your future or your family.

If not Shebi MC oluomo has sons and daughters? Why are they not doing street cultism and running errands for politicians and drug Lords at the mercy of their garage chairman to survive? Why is his son not an aiye or eiye on the streets of Oshodi,wasted and on drugs? Why is his daughter not in the garage Hawking drugs weeds and fuckin street Cultists.think!

They'll give their children the right connections, enlightenment and Enough security and support system while they give you guns and weed and paltry sums of money that they don't even give to Their private prostitutes,think!

If you are a son of a nobody and you're still doing cultism,then you deserve whatever befalls you.ive seen cases where children of the rich do cultism and when police totures and locks them up,the parents will come and bail them out the next day and before you know it they're cosetted in one palatial estate in canada.meanwhile it was over 10 boys they locked up for cultism.its only their son they'll bail while you that you're a son of a vulcaniser or daughter of a pepper grinder in the market that has no one to bail you out when you get into trouble,you're dabbling into cultism.na suffer head you come this world do? You grew up in penury and hunger,you joined cult and all your life was robbing, killing and stealing with no rest of mind living like a vagabond because you're dodging both police ,soildier and your rival cult groups that can kill you anytime.if they don't kill you,they waste your parents.no school,no job,no buisness,no sanity,no rest of mind in this kind of toxic country? Have you no sense?

Remember MC oluomos kids are professional nurses earning millions in Naira,fasholas son finished his PhD in one private university and he is now a professional outside nigeria,vice Chancellors children are silent millionaires while they're sending you on a dangerous, hazardous mission that if you're caught, they'll deny you within the twinkling of an eye and leave you to suffer till you die.your parents suffered and you too allow yourself to be used like a pawn.

Why didn't Rotimi Amaechi or Tom akeke or something like that (that cultist guy in Niger Delta) why didn't he give his sons guns to go and do pipeline vandalism or kidnap expatriates? Those ones that are encouraging cultism,where are their children?

If they're not in the best private universities in Nigeria, they're abroad and once they finish their education,job is waiting for them even if they came out with 3rd class but you from a humble background with no support system,who will bail you out when the consequences of cultism falls on you? Your illiterate mother barely struggling to survive or your father who doesn't know anybody?

Cultism never pays ...

My anger is the innocent lives that were lost during the clash....



God protect us from what we don't know of

Noted

Population control is needed. People are giving birth like rats. A time bomb loading

Fools.

All they know is wider you

old tradition

I hate cultists.

Wahala be like Bicycle

All these young boys are also cultists!!!

The youth are still the future LEADERS of tomorrow?

Ok

Cultism is another problem raging our society

Outcome of poor parenthood

Female child = Oloshoism

Male child = Cultism & Yahoo Yahoo

I hardly see any Yahoo guy who is not into cultism.
The young of nowadays don't even hide their evil ways from elders anymore. They smoke, drink, prostitute, expose cleavages & change bf/gf like wears with I don't care looks

A single mother still mentioned it yesterday that she's planning to get a laptop for his 9yrs old boy, so he can start doing Yahoo-Yahoo at early age.

no need to read all of that because I detest anything or anyone linked to cultism because its soo stupid and senseless coming from a poor background and still involving in cultism that adds nothing to your value..
looks at them looking improvish and poverty stricken forming hard man and capping rubbish all day trying to claim superiority or who is more powerful without nothing to show at the end of thier short life span..
if am in charge of law making, I would jus pass a bill for instant death for any body found guilty of cultism, jus shoot him at the back of his head and uproot any vital organ that is still useful......RAWBISH.

no small children again oo. boys turn terrorist.

Some of these children have nothing to lose..
Some of them are from rich homes.
When they are caught they leave they leave the foolish poor ones who have no glimpse of there future will be.
Media influence a lot of these children from naira Marley songs to movies of gang fights in movies..
Its takes the grace of God to raise a child.

See me that am talking like say I innocent
Bahddd things I don do but cultism and gangster no be my road

These afonja skull miners again.

The future of Ogun state is very bright. Go to community secondary school close to Lagos Progressive school here in Lagos and see more young cultists. I pity this region honestly.

Nothing new about it. It is now rampant among secondary boys. Even primary school pupils are not left out.

CandyOps:
Omo. this shii too long can someone pls summary?

Just like you summarized your summary