By Sodiq Adelakun
“I joined a cult while I was in primary three, then I was eleven- year – old,” this is the chilling confession of a primary five school pupil in a secret cult in one of Nigeria’s schools.
Although Adebola (not real names) , confesses it has not been easy being a cult member, he does not regret his action either. In this exclusive encounter with franktalknow, he says he has no regrets whatsoever. “If I tell you we regretted our actions of belonging to the cult group, that’s a lie,” he declared.
Gone were the days when secret cults were only mentioned in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. The scourge has since moved to secondary schools and has finally polluted the Primary school pupils.
Franktalknow tried to get some pupils, especially in primary and secondary schools to share their experiences with the assurances that their identities would be protected. Not fewer than five of these kid cult members shared their experiences on how they were initiated.
Three of the boys are still in primary school while two are iJ.S.S 1 and J.S.S.2 students respectively in public schools in Ogun State.
-Advertisement-
Though one of them regretted the step he took which he considered as one of the greatest mistakes in his life, other boys were not remorseful of their action.
Speaking to our correspondent, Ademola said, ” It has not been easy at all my brother, I joined a cult while I was in primary three, then I was eleven- year – old. One of those brothers in my street which was no doubt a cult member, called me to address my colour combination. He asked if I was trying to dress like a cult, my reply was negative.
” However, he told me that if I belonged to a cult group, my family would be protected and people will always respect me, I thought of it and instantly accepted that it would make me a stronger and important person because I was naive of the rudiment and aftermath action. I was initiated the following day. I was beaten and was asked to drink different gin which I was not used to.
“I could remember vividly when I got home, I was famished and exhausted, I lied to my mum that I had an accident on a motorcycle which led to several bruises on my face. On the account of how I was drunk due to my unbalanced movement, my mum pampered me like a baby because I have no father. She warned me to stop bad habits the following day.”
Other boys in primary school who spoke to franktalknow disclosed that their initiation was done on the same day due to their physique, ruggedness and particularly their kind of intimacy.
One of them who acted as spokesperson said, “If I tell you we regretted our actions of belonging to the cult group, that’s a lie. We do abandon school at times to attend meetings arranged by our superiors.
“As far as I’m concerned, school is a scam. We are feared even in our environment, is that not enough pride on our part?”
However, one of them who is in a Junior Secondary School, said he regrets ever belonging to a cult.
Describing how he got involved, he explained that one of his close friends led him to the jungle for initiation.
He said, ” One of the things I regretted in my life is belonging to the cult, but what can I do since the rule says no going back or else I would be killed.
” I went to a club with some friends and my close pal. He bought different drinks for me, such as 33 larger beer, Goldberg, Trophy and mixed with Action bitter. I drank to stupor and unknowingly, I was led to the jungle where I was severely beaten almost to death all in the name of initiation. I’ve been asked to steal several times from neighbourhoods and I know I will be caught someday if I don’t stop.
“I’ve explained everything to my parents and they are planning on how to send me out of the state to a faraway place I would not mention for now.
My advice to young ones and even adult is knowing the kind of friends they keep, it is very important like the popular saying, ‘Show me your friend and I will tell what you are’. Also, not everything you must eat or drink, you have to be reluctant at times, eat or drink what belongs to you so that you would be a victim of bad circumstances. ”
In the same vein, another boy in J.S.S 2 said he joined to be appreciated and respected.
He said, ” I belong to cult because I love to fight, even my teachers in the school are afraid of me. I am proudly a cult member of the Eiye.”
Worried by the high level of cultism in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the country, the Ogun State government on November 1, 2020 promised to fight the menace and make all the schools, including tertiary institutions, a peaceful place of learning for the students.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Technical Education, Prof. Joseph Odemuyiwa, made this known while being decorated as Commander, Corps Marshal by the National School Crime Prevention Corps (NSCPC), at his Office in Oke- Mosan Abeokuta.
SEE ALSO: (VIDEO) Fire guts Ijesha Market, Surulere In Lagos
Prof. Odemuyiwa, in a statement signed by the Press Officer, Bureau of Technical Education, Mrs Busayo Malaolu, said the National School Crime Prevention Corps has done the necessary things in combating crime and cultism at an earlier stage in the schools, to prevent adult cultism, hooliganism and hoodlums in the society as well as the country at large.
Similarly, the Commander General, Commandant, Folayinka Ige, said that the organisation had seized a lot of dangerous weapons from the students during the school period, saying that they would not relent in the rehabilitation exercise in schools.
He then urged parents and guardians to always admonish their children and wards and feed them with words of God to ensure that they become better persons in the society.
We do everything possible to supply quality news and information to all our valuable readers day in, day out and we are committed to keep doing this.
Your kind donation will help our continuous research efforts.
-Advertisement-
-Want to get the news as it breaks?-
