The advent of cultism in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions started in the early 50s at the famous University College now known as University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, with the formation of Pirate Confraternity (AKA SEADOGS).
This first cult group was formed by the Nigerian-only Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and six of his friends. The founders of the Seadogs confraternity are called “the magnificent seven” because they were symbolic and outstanding in academics.
The Pirate Confraternity was formed in good faith as their ideas were both patriotic and altruistic; they have not formed to maim or wreak havoc on humanity but to promote academic and intellectual excellence among members, fight students violence and colonial influences. The Seadogs reined for about twenty years before the emergence of other cult groups largely from the members of the Pirate Confraternity.
The Pirate Confraternity as the first cult was not known for violence; their cohesiveness was absolute allegiance to rules, and membership was only meant for the cleanest, bright and political conscious students, no wonder they were called the magnificent seven or elite club.
Their actions were exemplary and worthy as they socialized freely without trampling on the fundamental rights and freedoms of fellow students or lecturers either within or outside the university community. They never indulged in any form of negative behaviour that is common among the present-day student cultists and whose activities are shrouded in secrecy, alcoholism and wanton destruction of lives and property.
But over the years, due to doctrinal differences of individual members of the pirate confraternity and the inability of intending members to measure up with the required standard set out by the elite club, protestant ones like the Buccaneers, Vikings, Mafias, Eiye, Black Axe to started emerging while the rest which we have today started in ho early nineties.