Cultism: the cankerworm destroying the youths and the misconception of fighting oppression

An ideology that began to serve as a collective front against neocolonialism and oppression, has been turned into a blood sucking monster, destiny swapping platform and umbrella cover for drug abuse, destroying the lives of youths on a daily and weekly basis in Nigeria.

The origination of cultism in Nigeria started with good intention of protecting the rights of the students and the citizens from maladministration, abuse by colonial elements, oppression from military rulers and voice against injustice by government appointees in government owned organizations and academic fraud/results manipulation by academic lecturers in tertiary institutions.

It was the brainchild of intellectuals and bright minded individuals who brainstorm, agreed and proposed the Seadog confraternity in the year 1952 at the University of Ibadan.

A key figure among those notable individuals who proposed the idea of fighting immorality, injustice and oppression is the renowned Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka whose impacts and achievements have been celebrated globally and locally with different awards to celebrate his personality and contributions to humanity.

Decades after, the proposed confraternity and other subsidiaries have derailed from their established mission and intention to fight government injustice and neocolonialism oppression but to oppress, steal, kill, rape and spread fear and panic among fellow citizens, and serving as assasins for politicians and perfect cover for organ harvesting.

These have led to loss of lives among Nigerian youth, unending bad blood, hates, malice, abuse and destroying the minds of the future leaders.

Promising youngsters have been rusticated from tertiary institutions for been a member of these sects, talented individuals have been imprisoned for identifying with these groups, religious and recruitment organizations have discriminated against members of these crime syndicate for their gory act and inhumane actions.

The movement that started from tertiary institutions have been taken to the street without standard for membership; illiteracy, ability to push drugs, thuggery and ruggedity have been substituted for intelligentsia, while hoodlums are now holding government positions as a loyalists relegating intelligence and professionalism.

Idle hands is the devil's workshop, massive youths unemployment, peer group influences, drug abuse, morale decadence, deteriorating value system, overnight success and celebrating wealth without venture are some of the factors encouraging the youths to join these homegrown banditry, as there is a very slim difference between these groups and other terrorist groups wrecking havoc in Northwest Northeast, Northcentral and other parts of Nigeria.