Acrimony heightened and sympathy was elicited when Nigerian masses were greeted with the heart-wrenching news of the demise of 12 year old Sylvester Oromoni on 30th November, 2021. Probable accounts of Sylvester’s tragic end narrates that he was a student of Dowen College, Lekki, where some senior students were in the habit of bullying him, with allegations that they had forcibly tried to initiate Sylvester into their cult.[i] This ugly and pitiable event shifted the focus of the nation in a spectacular manner from more pressing concerns such as dire economic straits, gross insecurity challenges, poor infrastructural development and the reality of corruption that have characterized the present day Nigeria oozing out a suffocating stench of rot, a legitimization of crimes and a celebration of criminals.
For more than a decade and still counting, cultism and bullying joined the maelstrom sabotaging our growth and productivity not only in the social and politicized space, but in our educational sector. This assertion is substantiated in the fact that some academic institutions are rife with heinous acts like rape, prostitution, truancy, thuggery, sexual harassment, drug and substance abuse, inter alia. These unwanted acts presage a far-reaching implication for the educational sector which gradually but grantingly, becomes destitute of sound goals, visions and objectives, as against its potentials to develop a sense of national unity, and a formidable economy buoyed with sustainable human development. Thus, it is not out of place to say that the progress in our educational sphere is being hampered by cultism and bullying.
The death of Sylvester has unearthed a teeming quest for justice and a critical interrogation of the quality of our educational sector, with special interest in the abysmal parenting pedigree of this age. A report published on Premium Times on December 2, 2019, recounts how over 10,000 students died from cult-related violence in schools between 1996 and 2019, with over 40 different cult fueling academic dishonesty, killings, blackmails, and harassment of teachers and students.[ii] This report thus, brings to fore the calls for justice, and the need for a major overhaul of our educational sector, and parenting of our time.
Devastatingly, stories of past misdeeds of cultism and bullying in Dowen College[iii] rolled out like Old Testament scrolls on social media setting off a firestorm, searing flames of wrath and fury on Sylvester’s killers. These exasperating revelations show that Dowen academic authorities were not oblivious of what students went through in the hands of their fellow students now turned savage cultists and bullies, but only treated such issues with crass negligence and laissez-faire attitudes. This brazen attitude speaks volumes about our institutions which today prioritize money, social recognition and adoration fame in defiance to a pursuit of excellence and moral probity. Little wonder, the authorities held tenaciously to the claim that Sylvester died from sustained injuries of playing football.
The Lagos State Government immediately applied the suspensory hammer of temporary closure of the College, requesting the Police to wade into the issue and yield results. However, amidst the various controversies surrounding Sylvester’s death and the new findings, Sylvester’s case provides points of departure to addressing the reality of cultism and bullying in our educational system. This entails that Dowen College is not the only institution that may be offering semblance of support to cultism and bullying. Thus, any failure to tackle these issues indicates a conflict of interest, for “Nemo Iudex in causam suam,” – “No one is a judge in his own cause.” Therefore, the emergent concern should be on how to eradicate this endemic that has scurried out of some wicked propaganda to have a morally debased society, thereby filtering cultism and bullying into tertiary institutions and levels below it, rapaciously eating deep into the fabrics of our educational sector.
For a start, families and parents must realize that they bear the brunt of work to do, akin to the first formation and discipline of children, their ideologies and idiosyncrasies. It is a basic and primary duty, a sole responsibility; thus, they are not to dump their wards in boarding houses without inquiring about their welfare, nor are they to abdicate and relinquish their duties to nannies, teachers, society or God. This entails that any form of indiscipline from children should be dealt with and not supported, bearing in mind that an ambience of love and trust should be established in homes, such that children can learn to confide in their parents. Nonetheless, the ascendancy of single parenthood of our milieu has affected the proper formation of children; children of this millennial thus, battle with depression, trust issues, involvement in shoddy business and practices, lurching family life into a stygian darkness that blurs our fight against deviant realities of transgender, abortion, same sex marriage, which today enjoy the favour of those who shake the world and make laws.
Amidst these challenges, academic institutions also have a role to play. They are not to support clandestine and inhumane acts in their institutions, so, stringent laws to regulate these excesses should be enacted. They are to trace the channels through which cultism and bullying sleepwalked into the confines of our educational system. Hence, concerted efforts should be made to uproot this evil completely. This further entails that when there is an admission of new staff and students, a corresponding report of their past conduct and behavior must follow suit. If there are inconsistencies, such reports should be verified to ascertain if the individual (staff or student) should be admitted to the institution or not.
The government to which families and academic institutions are subservient to cannot be left out. Cults must be identified by government for they are not far-fetched. Government should work with good spirited groups and organizations to sensitize people that might is not right, contrary to Thrasymachus’ thoughts that “justice is in the interest of the stronger or might is right.” This is an onerous task that sometimes meets with a conflict of interest. The findings in research of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) into the cult ‘black axe’ revealed that some of our leaders belong to cults, charting their course in the cleverest way they can.[iv]
The reality of cultism and bullying in Nigeria is ubiquitous. It has led to the rabid marginalization and socio-political exclusion of good-meaning Nigerians from the corridors of power. Nevertheless, we are to remain undaunted and resilient in our search for justice, sanity, peace, and calm. We must learn to say something when we see something; hence, all hands should be on deck to formulate workable solutions to put an end to this endemic that is malicious destroying our educational sector. We cannot sit down and fold our hands, allowing our educational sector to be corrupted by these problems, for “corruptio optima pessima est,” – “corruption of the best is the worst.” If we permit this to be our lot, then, we are purely on the road to perdition.
Nwabuisi Johnpaul, melchi5801@gmail.com
[i] Muiz Banire, “Culture of bullying in Secondary Schools,” The Catholic Herald 31, no. 51, 1-16 (2021), 16.
[ii]Agency Report, (2019), “10,000 Nigerians killed in cult-related violence between 1996 and 2019-NGO,” Premium Times, Festus Owete (ed.), https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/366141-10000-nigerians-killed-in-cult-related-violence-between-1996-and-2019-ngo.html (Accessed 27/12/2021).
[iii] Banire, “Culture of bullying in Secondary Schools,” The Catholic Herald, 16.
[iv] Africa Eye, (2021), “The Ultra-violent cult that became a global mafia,” BBC News, Mary Harper (ed.), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-59614595 (Accessed 27/12/2021).
