A disturbing trend is quietly growing across Nigeria: the rise of cultism among pupils in primary and secondary schools. In communities where children once carried backpacks and dreams, some now wield cutlasses and gang signs.
From Lagos to Bayelsa, police reports have exposed a shocking wave of school-age cult activity. Pupils as young as eight are being lured into cult groups, sometimes right inside their classrooms. Some have attacked teachers, other initiated classmates with rituals more fitting for crime syndicates than playgrounds.
Recall that in 2022, authorities in Ogun State arrested 18 students for cult-related activities. Earlier this year, police in Lagos busted a group that had recruited 12 pupils from Egan Primary and Secondary Schools into the ‘AWAWA’ confraternity. The oldest was in Junior Secondary School III. The youngest was just in Primary Two. Experts blame a mix of broken homes, poverty, failed parenting, and a weakening school system. “The structure of discipline in schools has collapsed,” said Dr Tijani Adeoye, a public affairs analyst. “Children no longer fear or respect authority.” The school system, meant to shape responsible citizens, is under siege. Teachers are overwhelmed. Parents are either absent or helpless. Moreover, pupils, watching a society where corruption thrives, see cultism as a path to power, protection, and identity.
Experts have said that the solution lies in rebuilding strong values both at home, in school, and across every stratum of Nigerian society. Schools need proper infrastructure, counselling, and engaging activities. Parents must become more present. Moreover, teachers must lead with compassion and firmness. So, enough talk. It is time to take urgent action, without which Nigeria risks losing its future to its most neglected children.
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