Cultism as a Selected Crime and National Laws in Nigeria

Abstract of Cultism as a Selected Crime and National Laws in Nigeria

This study examined cultism as a selected crime and National laws in Nigeria.

The qualitative approach was used based on secondary sources of data. Using interview and content analysis method, the study adopt relevant comparative and historical methods. Through this multi-approach, several reviews of relevant materials was made and historical document critically examined to give an insight on cultism as a crime and National Laws in Nigeria.

The results showed that, the following are the effect of cultism in the Nigerian societies, which are; the destruction of academic activities, damages of lives and properties, and affected the general academic and learning process of students; the effect of cultism has led to the increase in the rate of crimes and criminal activities within the society, such as killing, raping, robbery, intimidation of others, voodoo and ritual practices, and the brutality of innocent citizens across the country; cultism has led to societal stigma and ridicule to members and to the communities where there activities are obviously open mostly as it relates to crime and criminalities. broken home is another major cause of cultism in the Nigerian society.

The study concluded that there is the need for National Laws to be created and the existing ones to be strengthened so as to curb the menace of cultism in the country and restore peace to the disturbed areas in all part of the country. The study further recommended that; parents should have full control of their children in order to teach them basic morality and societal values; in case of broken homes both parents should ensure that their children are groomed in the right way; government, parents, school authorities, and relevant public and private stakeholders should re-orientate, sensitize, and educate the youths through useful program and workshop, and seminars on the danger of cultism; The media houses should as well create awareness through their media platforms on the danger of cultism in the society; there should provision of employment opportunities and empowerment program for the youth, as this will help to reduce cultism as engage youth will have less time for criminality; the Federal Government should come up rules and penalty for cultism in the constitution, and to as well strengthen the existing laws prohibiting cultism in Nigeria; security agencies should be up and doing in their job without bias and sentiment in dealing with cultism; counseling and guidance services should be provided at all levels of learning in the Nigeria educational system.

Chapter One of Cultism as a Selected Crime and National Laws in Nigeria

Background to the Study

For the past years, cultism has held inexplicable attraction for the country’s youth population. In the early 1990s, cult groups had sources mainly in the universities and other tertiary institutions where they sprang up as fraternities, where they kill, steal and destroy and tolerate no challenge or presence of rival groups. Cult wars became so rampant on campuses and immediate environments, and when they break out, turn the whole place into killing fields.

In the modern-day Nigerian society, it has been observed that the country had experienced several scenarios where various cult groups in the society aggressively and violently attack people in their bid to maim, kill and carry out many anti-social activities in the environment, (Ajayi, Ekundayo, & Osalusi, 2010). For a number of decades, there have been several efforts made by the government authorities to outlaw the activities of cult groups, which will be explained in the subsequent chapter. In Nigeria today, cultism remains one of the major crimes in the country. Statistics from the Nigeria Watch database from 2006-2017 showed that, crime is one of the causes of violence in Nigeria, as armed robbery is heavily concentrated in the South and Middle Belt regions, especially in highly populated areas like Lagos and Port Harcourt. The increase in the rate of cultism across the country has assumed a threatening dimension to the point where there are now terminologies such as cult war, cult violence and cult clash, (Ajayi, 2015). Cultism is an organized criminal activity which encourages the use of violence to attack targets. It adopts different strategies and uses secrecy to plan and initiate attacks.

Cultism has become a threat to national security to the point that no week passes without any report of arrest of members; killings or clashes involving rival cult groups, (Ajayi, 2015). It is a threat to national security which is regarded as requirement of humanity and guarantees survival as the first law of nature, (Kazir 2016). Cult groups make Nigerian societies insecure as they attack innocent citizens in residential areas, markets, institutions and highways in their bid to punish perceived rivals, (Kazir, 2016). Most groups are known for organizing get-together in form of social gathering and they take advantage of the meetings to spoke Indian hemp, heroin and drink alcohol. Some have been shot dead at restaurants and other drinking joints either as targets or mistaken identities, (Ogunade, 2012). Cultism is perceived as a ritual practice by a group of individuals whose membership, admittance, policy and initiation formalities as well as their mode of operations are done in secret and kept secret with their activities having negative effects on both members and non-members alike, (Ajayi, 2015).

The threat of cult groups made the Federal Military Government to decree that members should renounce their membership or quit public service, after the ban on Owegbe cult in 1966, (Amadi, 2011). Some of the popular cult groups in modern-day Nigeria are Buccaneer, Pyrates, Black Axe, Neoblack Movement, the Musketeers, Icelander Confraternity, Greenlanders, the Supreme Viking Confraternity, Green Berets Fraternity, Vultures, Nite Rovers, Ostrich Fraternity, Predators, Seadogs, Black Beret Fraternity, the Third Eye Confraternity, and many others. Most of these groups have their origin traceable to social groups in Southern Nigeria.

In cognizance of the menace of cultism to the society, the Nigerian legislature has risen up to the occasion by passing National laws that will criminalize unlawful activities in the country. For instance, Section 62 (1) of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, which makes membership of unlawful societies a crime against the Nigerian state, the board should have considered prosecution. Section 63 of the Criminal Code provides that, “any person who manages or assists in the management of an unlawful society is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.” Furthermore, section 64 states that, “any person who (a) is a member of an unlawful society or (b) knowingly allows a meeting of unlawful society to be held in any house, building or place belonging to or occupied by him over which he has control, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years”.

Similarly, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in section 66(1) (g); section107 (1) (g); section 137 (1) (h) and section 182 (1) (h). These provisions disqualify Nigerian citizens who are confirmed members of secret cults from contesting election for political offices at any level. Also, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999), Section 318(1) defines: a secret society (cult) as any society, association, group or body of persons (whether registered or not) that uses secret signs, oaths, rites or symbols and which is formed to promote a cause, the purpose or part of the purpose of which is to foster the interest of its members and to aid one another under any circumstances without due regard to merit, fair play or justice to the detriment of the legitimate interest of those who are not members, (Abdulhaeez, 2018).

Furthermore, there is the Student Union Activities (Control and Regulation) Act 1989, in section 2 recommends a fine of #50,000 and/or five years imprisonment. In 2001, the House of Representatives passed the Secret Cult and Secret Society Prohibition Bill, which would make it a constitutional offence for any person to form, join, or take part in any secret cult activity and imposed a fine of 250,000 naira, (Oanda, 2005) or a prison term of from two to five years, or both (Vanguard, 2001).

In order to stem the ugly tide of cultism in Nigeria, several state governments have passed laws with more stern sanction provisions. For example, the Rivers State Government Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, 2004, prescribes 10 years imprisonment without the option of fine. Also, the Lagos State Government has promulgated the Secret Cults/Societies and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, Section 1(4) of the law prohibits membership of a secret cult whether or not in possession of offensive weapon and on conviction liable to 10years imprisonment without the option of fine. In addition, any person who gives financial, material support or assistance, sponsors or patronizes a secret cult commits an offence and is liable on conviction to10years imprisonment without the option of fine; in addition the sponsor who is a pubic officer, traditional Ruler or head of an institute will be removed as provided in section 2 of the law. Furthermore, any person who knowingly harbours or allows the meeting of secret cult to be held in his house, hotel, place of business or harbor a person with an unlicensed firearm commits crime and liable to 5years imprisonment without option of fine. Section 6 of the law provides that any member of a secret cult who voluntarily renounces his membership and submits any weapon in his possession to the police will be free from prosecution. Also, any person who attends meeting or any activity of secret cult members is presumed to be a cult until the contrary is prove. Finally, any person who aids a cult member to escape or obstruct his arrest commit a crime and liable to 5years in imprisonment without the option of fine.

A number of National laws and other laws at both the state and federal levels make membership of unlawful societies a crime that must be rooted out. Laws are meant to be enforced. It takes no more than political will to do it. The litany of the laws against cultism has neither saved youths nor the society from the evils of cultism because no one gives a hang about their enforcement. Therefore, it is on this backdrop that this study will examine the impact of Nigeria National Laws on Cultism.

Statement of Research Problem

The menace and aggressiveness of cult members and cult related activities in Nigeria is a major problem facing the country as a whole and this has led to escalated crime wave seen in the country today, (Onasanya, 2015). Youths are attracted to cultist groups for a variety of reasons. Generally, the social atmosphere existing in the Nigerian society provides an inspiring environment for secret cults to thrive. These may include lack of employments, home background, virile student unionism, absence of intellectual debates, the society and all other activities that are components of our society culture.

According to Omotunde (2014), the youths especially those from broken homes, destitute, and youngsters who have flexible minds easily fall prey to the entreaties from cult members. Particularly, youths who are lonely, depressed, dejected, disorientated and frightened sometimes drift into the waiting arms of secret cultists. Apart from the categories mentioned above there are some youths who join secret cults out of sheer curiosity. As Eneji (2013) has observed, those who are tall, masculine and naturally tacit and those who consciously limit much interaction with other persons are easy prey for those recruitment “officers” of the cult group.

In Nigeria, it is almost impossible to accurately and empirically document the amount of crime ensuing from secret cult activities. In Nigeria, the police remain the major source of crime data, (Uweru, 2015). Unfortunately, the police records do not indicate which crimes specifically result from secret cult activities. As a result, possible crimes resulting from secret cult activities are diffused among such crimes as rape, manslaughter, arson and others. According to the criminal code, to be successfully accused of secret cultism it is required that the offender be caught wearing full secret cult regalia. This isn’t possible because most of the secret cult activities take place at night under the cover of darkness in unusual places.

Akande (2016) reported that, some criminals suspected to be cultists set a house ablaze at 32 Omokaro Street, Benin City when the cultists, after ransacking the house couldn’t find the people they were looking for. To put the problem of secret cultism in proper perspective, it is important and germane to examine into details, the general decay in the Nigerian society and the state of anomie which has been pervasive in Nigeria in the past two decades. This will help in properly understanding the problem of secret cultism in our society.

The adverse effects of cultism in our society have continued to be a source of worry to governments, and as a result, it is important to understand the influence of the Nigerian National Laws in combating the menace of cultism.