CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

"A cult is a group that utilizes techniques that restrict members of their capacity to make a free decision," according to American sociologist Howard, R. (1993). They utilize deceptive recruiting strategies, misleading and harmful use of dedicated energies, and mind control to choose the group leaders' products to the real or potential damage of members, their families, and the community. Cults can encompass organizations and groups that aren't normally thought of as cults." According to Oluwasina (2000), the term "cult" is used in a derogatory sense to describe a group whose ideas or activities are regarded deviant or weird. Originally, the term referred to a set of ritual practices. The word in its narrower, negative sense is a development of the twentieth century, particularly since the 1980s, and is considered subjective. It's also a product of the anti-cult movement, which uses the term to describe groups that are dictatorial, exploitative, and suspected of using hazardous rituals or mind control. The term refers to a group that is a minority in a society. "A cult is a collective movement demonstrating a strong or excessive devotion or loyalty to some person, concept, or item and adopting unethically manipulative means of persuasion and control," according to Fesobi (1996). Isolation from former friends and family, dehilitation, use of special methods to increase suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, pension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear (consequences of leaving it, etc.) are examples of tactics used to advance the goals of group leaders to the actual or potential detriment of members, their families, or the community. Various social issues, like as unemployment, robbery, hanger and domestic family difficulties, cultism, and even cultural problems, are prevalent in today's society, and are faced at Nigeria's higher educational institutions. "A cult is a group that utilizes techniques that limit members of their ability to make free choices," writes Olumuyiwa (2007). They utilize deceptive recruitment strategies and fraudulently and destructively manipulate devotees' minds in order to further the group leaders' aims at the expense of members, their families, and the community. Cults include organizations and groups that aren't normally thought of as cults. "A cult is a group or movement that exhibits great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, ideas, or thing and employs unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control, such as isolation from former friends and family, dehilitation, use of special methods of heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, pension of individuality or critical judgment," according to Pakistan journal of social science vol 4 (2007). Cults have no qualms about using immoral and deceitful methods to attract and control members. Cult groups do not rely only on religious and spiritual persuasion to acquire coverts, according to Adufe (2001). Destructive cults also employ advanced strategies of actual and literal mind control to deliberatively manipulate new concert prospects. Cult is a system of religious belief and worship dedicated to a person or rituals, according to the "Advanced learners' dictionary of contemporary English." According to some dictionaries, a secret cult is one that is kept hidden from public view or awareness. The current reformed Ogoni brotherhood fits within this group. A cult may be defined as a group of people who have a strong and excessive belief in a person or a set of beliefs. Rituals, praise songs, chants, and worship might all be used to express this. It is an indisputable habit that, even with better logic, may be difficult to overturn. According to Wale Adufe (2001), a hidden cult is a collection of activities, a belief system, or a concept whose essence is known only to the inner members and is revered and protected to the point of laying down one's life. Members' tenacity and conviction enhance the group's value and awefer the group, especially among non-members. The reformed Ogboni fraternity, Oboni society (in Ikwere land), Ekpo society (in Cross river state), the Odumu masquerade (in Okirika land), the Akujane society (in Igala land), the Ejalukwu society (in Ibona land), and the Eyo society in Lagos are just a few examples of well-known secret cults in Nigeria. These cultures' religious systems and primary elements are closely guarded. The Akujane masquerade, for example, is such a powerful phenomenon that no one dares to look at its heads, since any invader is punished with humiliation and even death (Ele, 2002). However, one of the societies' beneficial characteristics is that they do not injure until provoked, and they might be used to clean the society of cultural trash and grow dominant in the middle of social instability. As with poro and mende societies in Sierra Leone and Oviaeseas in Ogori country, some even act as socialization groups that initiate men and women into maturity. It's important noting that the group's mission was not to injure, maim, murder, or destroy, since their cohesion and unwavering adherence to the rules made it an exclusive club open only to the cleanest, smartest, and politically aware (Helen, 2002). Members of the pirates confraternity handled the anti-anglo defense treaty with Britain and the "all must go" students demonstration of 1978 admirably.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is common knowledge that the Nigerian educational system, particularly institutions of higher learning, has long been devoted to all forms of student misbehavior such as jurente delinquencies, rudeness to or lack of respect for lecturers and constituted authorities, as well as other forms of anti-social behavior (Adufe, 2001). However, cultism appears to be a threat to higher educational institutions, such as the Federal College of Education in Nigeria, according to the research examined thus far. As a result, the issue in this study is how academic personnel, non-academic employees, and students interpret coerced persuasion. In Nigeria's higher educational institutions, public awareness campaigns, public renunciation, and school disciplinary measures have all been shown to be beneficial in the control of cultism. 

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