Campus cultism and violence in Nigerian universities : a case study of the undergraduate students at the university of Benin

Abstract

Cultism on Nigerian university campuses is a serious phenomenon. It creates a problem not only for undergraduate students and the university community, But, to the entire educational, social, economic and political structures of the country. Consequently, it is essential to conduct an empirical study on this issue in order to produce data needed to resolve the menace of cultism and violence among different rival cult groups in some Nigerian university campuses. The present study aims at examining the motivational factors to join cult groups among undergraduate students, the relationship between campus cultism and violence, the impact of campus cultism on the Nigerian educational system, as well as the role of the government in eliminating campus cultism in Nigerian universities. To ensure a complete analysis of the data, the study utilizes a qualitative methodology. This involved in-depth interviews with 20 respondents whose responses are coded into themes based on the objectives of the study. The study revealed that campus cultism among the respondents was motivated by a wide range of social, personal, economic, emotional and political factors. The findings of the study also indicated that there is a strong relationship between cultism and violence. Among the causes of cult violence include drug abuse, lack of parental training, struggle for dominance among different rival cult groups, failure of cult members to respect one another, snatching of cult members’ girlfriends and lack of tolerance among different cult members. Therefore, cultism affects the higher educational system of Nigeria in a greater proportion. The effects of the inter-cult crises includes damage done to university facilities, interruption of the planned academic calendar for the semester, suspension of social and recreational activities on campus, reduction in the number of prospective applicants into the affected universities and migration of qualified lecturers from the universities. The solutions to the problem of campus cultism include moral reorientation campaigns, public enlightenment through conferences and workshops, parental training and attachment, guidance and counselling as well as involvement of students in sporting activities. Moreover, the results of the study also disclose that the government has an important role to play in bringing a lasting solution to the problem. So, the findings of the study require a complete and multi-dimensional method to address the problem of cultism and violence on Nigerian university campuses.