CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The greatest and most embarrassing problem facing tertiary institutions in Nigeria today is the renewal of the menace and aggressiveness of cult activities.
Obviously, cultism is said to be the mother of crimes in tertiary institutions and this phenomenon has negatively affected the image of our institutions, the learningquality and integrity f the grandaunts
According to Ogunade (2002) secret cult is an enclosed organized association of group devoted to the same cause. It is an enclosed group having an exclusive sacred ideology and series of rites cantering around their secret symbols.
Cultactivities are sometimes laden with blood. It may be the blood of an animal or that of human beings. He claimed that during rival group clashes with the university, colleges, setting blood flows during which many life are last in the process.
Cultismcan be defined as a ritual practice by a group of people whose membership admission, policy and initiation formalities as well as their mode of operations are done in secret, negative effects on both members and non members alike (Ajayi, 2015).
This project examines effects of secret cults in the Nigerian Universities, Colleges,Polytechnics,in multilayered manner.
Thomas (2002) asserted that confraternities operated at no degree of violence when emerged in the 1950’s. unfortunately, they were later high jacked by military governments who were anxious to consolidate their holds on university students who might challenge their authorities. For example virile student unionism was perceived by military authorities as a threat of their power consolidation.
Consequently secret cults were used to neutralize student unions and their anti-government activities.
This project will look into the definition of secret cults followed by history of secret cults in the higher institution of learning in Nigeria moreso, the reason why student join secret cults as well as mode of recruitment into secret cults and the menace of cultism and the solution to it. However, attempts to examine the emergence of secret units from perspectives of those changes taking place within and outside the universities will be made.
According to Okwu (2006) as at September 2003, 5,000 students and lecturers have die on Nigeria campuses as a result of cult related violent clashes.
In 1952, the piratesconfraternity also known as Sealord was formed at the university of Ibadan as a studentprotest group.