SECRET CULT IS DEATH

Another area of anxiety and violence in Nigerian can be found on University campuses. Secret cults are primarily male fraternities that often use violence against other students and teachers in order to achieve status within their group and to subvert the University’s authority. They are a matter of great concern in Nigeria and a common theme of newspaper editorials and popular books.

Some argue that the first campus cult was created by the Nobel prize winner Wole Soyinka in 1952 at the University college of Ibadan. This cult was originally created to put pressure on British colonialists, shake off colonial mentality and establish an identity of independence for its members. After independence in 1960 things began to change.

By the 1980’s and 90’s the infastructure of Nigerian Universities began to crumble. Library books became out of date, the universities experienced frequent power outages throughout the day, and teachers and civil service workers were continuously on strike for better wages. Nigeria’s youth soon became disenchanted with the empty promises of late captalism. By this time Soyinka’s secret cult had segmented into a number of others branches, which began using violence as a means of recruiting members and cheating the education system. This poster carries a message by President Obasanjo (backed by Jesus) warning of the dangers of secret cults in schools.

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