Cultism can be defined as a system of religious beliefs and practices that involves a small group of people who are not part of any established religion but choose to come together to have a common understanding of fraternity.
It can be also defined as a group of like-minded people who share a common course and whose mode of meetings and agenda is unknown to the public and where initiations into the rank and file of the group are usually done in secret.
Cultism can also be described as any group with a fanatical devotion to a person, movement or common interest with a charismatic leader with novel religious ideas.
Members of cult groups or secret cults always commit themselves to oath-taking and allegiance which serves as their strong bond. Their mode of operation is generally considered to be extremist and dangerous with its followers often living in an unconventional manner that defies acceptable societal norms and values, Secret cult members are called “cultists”.
The emergence of cultism in Nigerian institutions of higher earning has become worrisome and their activities are quite disturbing and devastating to both members, non-members and the University community.
What we see today in our various institutions is beyond imagination – a situation where student cultists unleashed terror on humanity, destroying school property worth millions and indulging in all manner of inhuman practices such as:
i. violent crimes like an armed robbery;
ii. illegal possession of firearms;
iii. drug abuse and excessive alcohol intake;
iv. illicit sexual escapades;
v. killing of innocent students and lecturers alike;
vi. arson, rape, extortion, threat and physical attack;
vii. oath-taking and ritual making;
viii. nocturnal meeting in an odd place(s); and
ix. dangerous intimidation/harassment against fellow students, and academic and non-academic staff.