There are about 180 cult groups in Nigeria, says a non-governmental organization (NGO)-Peace on Campus Initiative (PCI).
The group said the figure was obtained by its intelligent unit in each zone, state and Local Government Area (LGAS).
In Nigeria, a confraternity is a group that is nominally
university-based, though 'street and creek' confraternities began in the 1990s.
The first confraternity, the Pyrates Confraternity was created as a social
organization for promising students.
However,
as new confraternities were formed, they became increasingly violent through
the 1970s and 1980s. By the 1990s, many confraternities largely operated as
criminal gangs, called "campus cults" in Nigeria. Besides normal
criminal activity, confraternities have been linked to political violence, as
well as the conflict in the Niger Delta.
In no
particular order, here are the "Top 7 Confraternities in Nigeria and their
History"
Pyrate
Confraternity
Ahoi-Seadog
In
1952, Wole Soyinka and a group of six friends (Ralph Opara, Ikhehare
Aig-Imokhuede, Sylvanus Egbuchie, Nathaniel Oyelola, Pius Oleghe, Olumuyiwa
Awe) formed the Pyrate Confraternity at the elite University College, Ibadan,
then part of the University of London. According to the Pyrates, the "Magnificent
Seven", as they called themselves, observed that the university was
populated with wealthy students associated with the colonial powers and a few
poorer students striving in manner and dress to be accepted by the more
advantaged students, while social life was dictated by tribal affiliation.
Soyinka would later note that the Pyrates wanted to differentiate themselves
from "stodgy establishment and its pretentious products in a new
educational institution different from a culture of hypocritical and affluent
middleclass, different from alienated colonial aristocrats". The
organization also known as the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) adopted
the motto "Against all conventions", the skull and crossbones as
their logo, while members adopted confraternity names such as "Cap'n
Blood" and "Long John Silver". When fellow students protested a
proposal to build a railroad across the road leading to the university, fearing
that easier transportation would make the university less exclusive, the Pyrates
successfully ridiculed the argument as elitist. Roughly analogous to the
fraternities and sororities of North America, the Pyrates Confraternity proved
popular among students, even after the original members moved on. Membership
was open to any promising male student, regardless of tribe or race, but
selection was stringent and most applicants were denied. For almost 20 years,
the Pyrates were the only confraternity on Nigerian campuses.
Beliefs
and sayings:
Odas is
Odas (010)
No
Friend, No Foe (NFNF)
Absolute
No Lagging (ANL)
Members
are known as: Ahoy, PC, etc
Buccaneers
Association of Nigeria (BAN)
Alora—Sealords
In
1972, Bolaji Crew (Code-named “Late Ahoy Rica Ricardo”) and others were
expelled from the Pyrates for failing to meet expected standards. Carew went on
to found the Buccaneers Confraternity (also called the National Associations of
Sea Lords), largely copying the Seadogs' structure, symbols and ceremonies. A
major impetus for the creation of new confraternities was the fact that members
of the new groups simply did not meet the high academic and intellectual
standards set by the Seadogs, and thus considered the original organization to
be elitist.. Different notorious cult groups had emerging without check from
the concerned authority, unleashing terror on humanity and posterity.
Some
beliefs and sayings:
No
prize no pay
No
brothers in the wood
No
laughing on board
Blood
for blood
Let the
devil that lead you guide you
They
have other sayings, which are basically thereby to make new members feel they
made the right choice in belonging to a fraternity with such high code of
conduct and discipline.
Members
are known as: Fine boys, Ban Boys, Alora, Bucketmen, Lords, etc
Supreme
Vikings Confraternity (SVC)
Aro-Mates
The
Supreme Vikings Confraternity (National Association of Adventurers or,
alternately, De Norsemen Club of Nigeria) was formed by three young men 1982
who were former members of the Buccaneers at the University of Port Harcourt.
They have the following code-names:
Rising
angel
Eric De
Red
Troppence
It was
also called victory COSSA presently the Alpha Marine patrols.
Beliefs
and saying:
Blood
on the high sea
Singing
songs of Hojas
Never
to hang a leg
Even in
the face of death.
Members
are referred to as: Aro-mates, Adventurers, Vultures, e.t.c.
Black
Axe Confraternity
Aye-Axemen
The
Neo-Black Movement of Africa (also called Black Axe) was formed at the
University of Benin in Benin City in 1976 by some young men with the motive of
building a body to fight against the oppression against Black men (Students) at
the university. Those who initiated this association are rumoured to be
runaways from Neo black Movement of Africa, an organization in South Africa
that fought the apartheid war and escaped into Nigeria for safety.
Investigation has shown that it was the borrowed notion that was imported to
Nigeria.
Some of
their beliefs and saying includes:
The
Black man will be freed with an axe
No
phyuk ups
Forgiveness
is a sin
Don’t
betray your brother in the hood
Obey
before complain or Abeyance
He who
price must pay
Members
are referred to as: Aye Axe-men, Seven (7) or Amigos
Mafia
Confraternity
Ciao-Sons
The
Mafia Confraternity aka The Family Fraternity- COSANOSYRA was formed in 1978 at
the University of Ilorin in Kwara State, but started operation in Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1980. It started with eight ( persons in its mob
(institution) called the ONO-BRIGADO (1st Brigade) with the first Don as Don
KOOLKAT. This cult is styled after the notorious Chicago and Italian Mafia/Mob
stars
Some of
their belief and sayings include:
is
better for a bastard (non initiate) to chance/provoke a member than for a
numbered bastard (members of other cult group)
Retaliation
after oppression
Secrecy
is where our power lies
They
believe in gambling, partying, dating girls, etc.
Members
are referred to as: Maf or Mafians
Eternal
Fraternal Order Of Legion Consortium
Dedy
na debt
This
cult was started by five students at the University of Calabar, Cross River
State during the military era in 1983. Its ideals were borrowed from a cult in
California and bears another name known as ETERNAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF LEGION
CONSORTIUM or KLANSMEN KONFRATERNITY (KK). Members worship a demon called
“Ogor” as their god. Symbolized by a human skull, mostly that of a mad/insane
man.
Their
beliefs and sayings:
The
affairs of a klansman before any other thing in life
What
concerns a klansman concerns all klansmen
Status
of other cult members are not considered or relevant
Oath of
secrecy abide to all members
Peaceful
man in a deadly mood, disagree to agree
Members
are referred to as: Klansman or Klansmen
Eiye
Confraternity
Haba-Krier
The
Supreme Eiye Confraternity (also known as the National Association of Air
Lords) was formed in the University of Ibadan in 1965, also affiliated to the
Eiye Secret Society, which exist in the western part of Nigeria. It was formed
by the following students: Goke Adeniji, Dele Nwakpele, Bayo Adenubi, Bode
Fadase, Tunde Aluko, Kayode Oke, and Bode Sowunmi among others. It was
named Eiye group and later metamorphosed into Supreme Eiye Confraternity (SEC).
This cult group was established to make positive impact on the social-political
mind, social cultural, physical and mental development of its members, and
where indifferent to other conventional cult group.
Beliefs
and sayings:
Secrecy
Autocracy
Discipline
Brotherhood
No
Friend No Foe
Members
are referred to as: Fliers, Airforce, Airlords, e.t.c
Others
Other
confraternities in Nigeria are Thu-Thu, Red Sea, Mgbamgba Brothers, Black Cat,
The Fame, Snow Men, Fraternity of Friends, Black Cobra of Ife, Canary, Green
Berrets, The Blood Spot, Scorpion, etc.
The
Ladies are not left out when you talk about confraternities in Nigeria. So not
neglecting them, below is a list of the top female confraternities:
Black-bra,
Black Berets, Woman Brassier (brave), Daughters of Jezebel, Pink Lady, Amazons,
White Angels, Lady of Rose, Sisterhood of Darkness, Golden Daughters, The Ten
wonderful Girls, White Ladies, The Royal Queens, Daughters of the Knight, The
Knights of the Aristos, etc.
The
sorority groups were formed as female responses to their male counterparts’
activities, imitations, and most interestingly these females are girlfriends of
the members of the male cult groups. They act as spies to their male
counterparts, prostitutions syndicates, agents of set-ups, e.t.c.
"Remember
Violence does not pay"
