Cultism and Insecurities in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions: Consequences of Value Disorientation

Abstract

The security situation in the country at large and Nigerian universities in particular is nothing to write home about. In our national dailies, radio, televisions and social media, there is hardly any passing day without news of killings, kidnappings, rape ritual murders, arson, banditry, Boko Haram attacks and so on. Lots of factors have been presented as root cause of this ugly situation and one of them is the existence of cult activities in Nigerian institutions of higher learning borne out of value disorientation. This paper examines the meaning, origin or background, and features of various cult groups in the Nigerian institutions. It goes farther to highlight the relationship between value disorientation and worsening security situation in the tertiary institutions in the country through cult activities. The adverse effects of cult activities on individual students, educational institutions and the society in general were also discussed. The paper concludes with the roles of stakeholders in curbing value disorientation and cultism which will eventually bring about the highly desired improvement in the security situation in tertiary institutions in the country.