CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1             BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Cultism can simply be described as a land of gang behaviour that is accepted and value of the larger society and is characterized by oath taking secrecy and violence. Cultism can also be seen as the state of phenomenon where persons are bound together with a common belief usually through some rituals. According to Oxford dictionary of current English 5th edition the word “cult” means a system of religion worship especially one that is expressed in rituals from this definition cults now popularly known as confraternity have assumed a monstrous features in our institutions of higher learning to this end, therefore, our various campuses, which were most have become citadel of violence and terrorism.

The pertinent questions that one may ask is the phenomenon of cult just interring our institutions of higher learning, the answer figure have been known to be members of the pirates confraternity in their days in college or universities. Furthermore, when there was violent clashes between Eiye confraternity and the Buccaneer some notable professors and doctors at the institutions were found to be patrons and bankers of these cults. The implications is that these professors and doctors where members of these cults in their own college days. We find and disturbing trend of the proliferation of campuses cult in our institutions of higher learning, such cult are Vikings, the black axe, the morphine, the buccaneer, the pirates, the black arrow to mention but a few have become a familiar features in our institutions.

Additionally, the attention of the government and the society at large is the introduction of violent savagery and terrorism into the present day cut a diametrical contrast to what obtained in yester years it is now common in our campuses that factors of ravel cults violent clashes even in broad day light and fight themselves down with weapons such as guns, and daggers, nocturnal initiation ceremonies in which initiated are animalized and some of them die in the process of making blood covenants and performing other occultist organized opposition against any kind of oppression real or imagined liberal consumption of alcohol use of drugs, intimidation and use of violent extortion, stealing armed robbers,, arson sexual abuse, and rape, examination malpractice, maiming, manslaughter and murder the recent occurrence are the university of Ile-Ife, Benin, Ekpoma, Ibadan and of the course College of Education, Ekiadolor. This is what has led to the public to speaking against the societal evil calling to its total eradication.             

1.2             STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The fundamental problems of cultism are the uncertain and unsafe atmosphere in our campuses even to the activities of members of secret cult these manner of operation is both sinister and Bizerte living behind them a trial of what destruction most distressing of the problems is the state of killing in our campuses in recent o=times many lives have been terminated, permanently in spite of measures put in place by the various arms of government and school authorities aimed at combating the ugly trend of cultism, the phenomenon on our campuses has refused to be eradicated. Thus, the researcher intend to make an indebt study into the factors which create the fearful climate that encourage the growth and spread of cultism in our institutions of higher learning with a view to proffer solution to the problems.

1.3             PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to examine the spread of cultism in our institutions of higher learning with view to educate the public about the extent of the social problem. It should be seen by those who could do something about its educational planners, educational policy makers, the Nigeria university commission (NUC) the government, parents, various university councils and senate, etc as something that did not just involve overnight, hence solution. It should be as elastic as its evolution.

Firstly, cult association parade members that is not classifiable as normal personality types hence the particular agoraphobic tract in them gives impetus to the desire to operate and need to attack. Secondly, university authorities should not frequently use threats of expulsions against cult members instead, effective means should be devised to draw out and register activities would be made more open and easy to monitor. It is also psychologically defeating to expel students from an institution of learning particularly for behavioural deficiencies such as exercising one right of association, wrongly, when a human organism is expelled from an establishment whose sole object is to train and change behavaiour. 

1.4             SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will reveal how cultism was spread in tertiary institutions, the effects, causes and solutions, the study will also enable the government to understand and appreciate its areas of strength and weakness in the fight against cultism. 

1.5             RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.      Does fear lead someone to cultism? 

2.      Does the negligence from parents lead children to cultism?

3.      Does threat from peer group or outside world lead people into cultism?

4.      Does cultism lead to death?

5.      Does cultism empower people to go into criminal act? 

1.6             SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will involve the total population of students and staff of College of Education, Ekiadolor-Benin.

1.7             DEFINITION OF TERMS

Cult: A system of religious worship especially one that is expressed in rituals.

Cultism: Is the state or phenomenon where persons are bound together with a common beliefs.

Hitherto: This means until now or until a particular time. 

Quest: The act of seeking or a long search or to find

Empower: To give power or authority to do or to give more control over their own life or the situation they are in

Confraternity: A group of people who join together especially for a religious purpose or to help other people.

Rituals: Series of actions that are always performs in the same way, especially as part of a religious ceremony.

Pirates: A person on a ship who attacks other ships at sea in order to steal from them.

Manslaughter: The crime of killing illegally but not deliberately

Maiming: To injure seriously causing damage to their body.

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