CULTISM AND THE CHALLENGES OF SAFE NEIGBHOURHOOD

With the ceaseless massacre and the wanton destruction of properties, Mushin like most downtown neighbourhood in Lagos State has since emerged as the hotbed of violent crime. Never a day passes by, without recurrent violence and gruesome murder, occasioned by reprisal attacks among rivalry cults. Indeed, it is worrisome when one considers the height of senseless killings which pervades major Nigeria cities as a result of the notorious deeds of cult gangs.

The coeternal hostilities among street gangs has undeniably contributed to the increasing cases of violent crime as recorded in recent times. It is also disheartening to realize that a vast majority of the casualties of the frequent supremacy tussle among these rival gangs are young men who are supposed to be engaged in productive activities.

Besides, it is startling that the heinous actions of these infamous gang, which remains unabated has equally stagnated the socio- economic life of some part of Lagos metropolis as traders and residents of these susceptible communities are forced to relocate to other parts of the state, which are deemed to be safe from the attacks of street gangs. In retrospect, the activities of cult groups had often been restricted to the perimeters of Nigeria tertiary institutions, as it was a thing of pride in the past, for confraternity to initiate some of the most intelligent mind within the university campuses into their fold.

This was however the case with Pirate confraternity when it was founded by the likes of Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof Emeritus Olumuyiwa Awe, Ralph Okpara, during their undergraduate years at the University College, Ibadan. While the pirate confraternity was solely established to revolt some outlandish values that were allegedly imposed by the imperialist on African students. It was never conceived as a sorority that will promote acts of notoriety such as gangsterism and banditry. Equally, as a way of preserving the ideologies of the coterie, intended members were compelled to demonstrate good academic performances as well as strong character trait before they could be indoctrinated into their circle.

The unfortunate decline in the standard of education in Nigeria, regrettably contributes to the immanent proliferation of secret confraternity operating within the perimeters of Nigeria tertiary institutions. These ignominious societies has however supplant good academic performances and high morals with delinquency tendencies and abuse of prohibited substances as prerequisite for indoctrinating intending members.

Surprisingly, the apparent transmutation of these confraternity to nefarious gang originated at a time when both university and state authorities began to view these fraternities as a cyclopean force, which possesses the capacity to dissuade the ever increasing influence of student Union movement in most citadel of learning in Nigeria. The contemptible funding and patronage of these fraternity by university and state authorities, undoubtedly open doors for the perpetuation of violent crimes in the Nigerian academic environment.

It was therefore not shocking when Professor Wale Omole, the erstwhile Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, ile - Ife was alleged to have masterminded the horrific death of five members of the university student union who were gruesomely murdered in cold blood in 1999 by suspected cultist.

However, the return to democratic governance in Nigeria and the influx of money bags into the nation’s political landscape equally marks a watershed in the uprising of bloody cult clashes across Nigeria. The dire urge for political dominance has impelled political parties and politicians to engage the services of these nefarious gangs, which hitherto operates within the confines of campuses of tertiary institutions. Ultimately, these fraternities had therefore emerged as a grooming ground for political thugs and hooligans

It is however deplorable that initiation into these dreadful sorority has extended far beyond the perimeters of the campuses of institutions of higher learning, but has infiltrated into local communities as substantial fraction of members of these notorious cult are massively conscripted from street corners, market square and motor parks. Regrettably, the dispersal of lethal weapons and light arms to these nefarious gangs by politicians and the desperate contention for supremacy over their domain by rival gangs has climaxed in the senseless annihilation of lives and the wanton destruction of properties in most neighbourhood across Nigeria.

While it is disconcerting that a significant fraction of Nigeria’s productive population are been scythed to death in their prime as a result of their involvement in secret cult activities. It is equally perturbing that law enforcement agencies remain unmindful of the grievous menace these fraternities portends to the society at large. Seemingly, there is the exigent need for security agencies to brace up to the challenges of nefarious cult, by adopting a synergistic approach in nipping the delinquencies of these nefarious gangs in the bud, before degenerating to a national security threat.

Unlike the Boko haram sect that has drawn both regional and global attention as a result of the unprecedented devastation which it wrecked on some parts of the nation, these ignominious gang, which appears not to be on the same pedestal with the Boko haram sect in terms of security threat, equally embraces the culture of violence as a way of resolving differences.

Similarly, the existence of these notorious cult relied excessively on the growing spate of ignorance and poverty in the nation, which equally fuels the emergence of Boko Haram sect in the North East. In spite of the inefficaciousness of the political class to engage in Human Capital Development project, which could have assuage the existing height of poverty in the country. It is however lamentable that most political actors deems it appropriate in issuing out light arms and ammunition to the children of the poor rather than building schools for the under privileged. Furthermore, the excessive patronage of these unscrupulous gangs by desperate politicians has increasingly swelled the volume of arms and ammunition in the custody of these fraternities which inevitably leads to the incessant carnages.

Hence, in an attempt to mop out the high volume of light arms and ammunition that has excessively inundates most communities, it is needful for Government to initiate a framework that will induce members of these notorious fraternities to surrender all arms and ammunition in their custody. More importantly, Ministries of Education and Youth Development must equally roll out comprehensive plans on the rehabilitation and re- integration of cultist whom are willing to denounce their membership of these notorious fraternities.

It is absolutely painful that educational sector has nose dive to it's lowest ebb as a result of the deliberate neglect by successive government in Nigeria, thus aggravating the level of ignorance, which unequivocally fuels violent crime in the country. While, it is on good record that New York City overtly boast of eighty nine functional public library with well-equipped section for children and young adult, with most of the libraries situated within inner - city neighbourhood. It is however bewildering to realize that most states in Nigeria do not have a functional public library to cater for the needs of its reading population. And in few states where such facility literally exist, they are deliberately neglected to rot

Subsequently, there is the need for state governments to urgently review their educational policies which has ostensibly centred on the renovation and reconstruction of public schools without considering the significance of establishing and funding of public libraries in downtown communities. Therefore, government policies on education should equally place premium on the need for the establishment of new libraries and the upgrading of existing libraries to a functional condition.

Seemingly, it is pertinent for state governments to resuscitate reading culture by engaging the private sector in the establishment of Book & Art clubs in most downtown communities, where social crime prevails. Regardless of the obvious fact, that a reading society is a prosperous society, the introduction of Book & Art clubs will equally create an enabling environment for indigent children to have access to books that can inspire them to greatness, thus cutting down the huge cost of maintaining federal prisons and juvenile homes.

Instructively, community groups must equally rise up to the fight against street gangs and cultism, which has inarguably transform most downtown neighbourhood to theatre of war, where human blood are incessantly spilled. It is therefore needful for community leaders and youth group to ceaselessly share first-hand information with state agencies in other to curtail the excessive bloodshed which often emanates from hostilities among rival cults. Also, beyond staging revelries and jamborees, it is pertinent for youth groups to actively engage in practices that will promote and inculcate the act of peaceful co –existence at the community level, which of course is the bedrock that safe neighbourhood thrives upon.

Furthermore, the extant laws guiding the conduct of political parties in Nigeria should be reviewed by the National Assembly with the intent of empowering the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister political parties, which apparently engages in the reprehensible act of patronising and funding these ignominious gang for purpose of making political gains. Therefore, politicians and political parties most henceforth abstain from the ignoble act of engaging cultist in intimidating all perceived opponents during electioneering period. Rather than endorsing the culture of violence, Political parties should therefore imbibe the attitude of engaging local communities in the process of governance through political awareness and education.