Cults

I guess this is another of the “forgotten stories” I have been meaning to blog about but never got around to. Indeed it’s a story that comes to mind early in thinking about my experience in Nigeria, mainly owing to all the billboards the Ife campus.

What is a cult? Well not quite the same thing as an Australian would think. A cult here normally refers to a group of individuals, normally boys at university, who band themselves together to form a terrorizing group. This group can be best approximated to my idea of a mafia, where members commit crimes, extort money, get in lethal fights over territory etc. etc. They meet in secret, elect leaders and conduct rituals. For cults are often, but not necessarily linked to blood rituals/sacrifices/oaths and native magic (juju).

The University of Ife (OAU) is a bit unlike most Nigerian campuses (or so I’m told) in that it doesn’t have cults (or at least not very active or visible ones). For some years ago many people were shot dead when rival cults fought on the campus. There was subsequently a crackdown and hence all the billboards on campus telling students to shun cults and out their members. I was told by some AIESEC members that when they have held conferences in other cities that cult members have shown up at parties to collect money for “protection”.

Cults are a favourite topic for Nigerian movies. Lots of films are set on campus or related scenarios and tell the story of cult members, their crimes and, usually, their downfall.