There are 103 cult groups known to Rivers State government. But it is not known whether they all operate in the state. However, the state House of Assembly is conscious of their activities, hence it took documentary notice of the groups. It was in realization of their threat to the well being of society that the House enacted a law prohibiting secret cult in the state. On 15 June 2004, the then governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, assented to the �Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, No 6 of 2004�, after it had been read three times and passed by the state Assembly.
The 13-page document forbids the existence of cult groups in the state. In fact, the document opens with a stern warning that �any person who is a member of a secret cult � whether of not the person is in control of an offensive weapon � is liable on conviction to imprisonment for ten years without an option of fine�. Knowing that these cultists live amongst other human beings in the society and that they are not spirits that disappear into thin air, the law warns those harbouring offenders or permitting cult activities in their premises of the danger in doing so. Particularly, the law mentioned that traditional rulers, head or staff of educational institutions, who are answerable to the state government in cult groups shall be removed from office and in addition punished according to the law. Again, owners of business premises, hotels, nightclubs and similar places would not be spared if cultism were allowed to function there.
However, the law opens a window of reprieve for misled, misguided and reluctant members of cult groups as �any member of a secret cult who voluntarily renounces his membership and submits any offensive weapon to the authorities shall be free from prosecution under this law�.
Further to this, the government promises rehabilitation and protection of such �prodigal sons�, directing the department of social welfare to create rehabilitation centers across the land for them. For the avoidance of doubts, the renunciation shall be made through sworn affidavits submitted to the attorney general of the state.
In the government gazette, notable amongst the alleged secret cults banned are National Association of Seadogs, Barracuda, Black Brasserie, Black Axe, Brotherhood of Blood, Buccaneers (Sea Lords), Burkina Faso ( Revolutionary Fraternity) and Daughters of Jezebel.
Others include Hell�s Angels, KKK Boys, Klu Klux Klan Confraternity, Mafia Lords, Thomas Sankara Boys, Vikings, Elegemface, Dewell, Degbam, White Bishops, KGB, White Angels, Temple of Eden, Dolphins, Air (Eiye) Lords, Gentleman Club as well as Hepos. There are also Mafioso Fraternity, Blood Hunters, Sea Vipers, and Vigilante Groups whose activities are allegedly similar to secret cults, among many others.
But the government, quite recently, believing that the process of going to court to renounce membership of the groups could be troublesome, begged such people to go to churches or report to Government House Port Harcourt of their intention for genuine repentance. Many of such repentant cult members have been rehabilitated with money, car, business operation and premises as well as other self-reliant ventures. Sadly, however, this olive branch and carrot from government and religious institutions do not seem to be yielding much fruit. So, where does the trouble lie?
Sunday Vanguard went to town to ask Port Harcourt people, some retired cultists, militants and residents of the state the reason for the thriving cult business. Accusing fingers were directed at some of those who made the law at the Assembly prohibiting cultism, as well as highly placed people in government and moneybags of being responsible for the growing cult activities in the land.
Firing the first salvo at a forum in Port Harcourt, recently, the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, Mr. Ledum Mitee, declared that cultists had found their way to government in Rivers State. During the last administration, there were allegations that top government officials and legislators were members of cult groups and were their chief financiers. Several inter and intra community shootouts in Rivers State have been traced to cult-related incidents. The more pronounced cult outfits in this respect have been Dewell and Degbam. Their activities are witnessed in violence from Ogoniland to Ikwerre communities and right down to Kalabari creeks. Relatively devoid of cultism, undue militancy as well as wholesale criminality have been Bonny Island and Opobo areas. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the traditional leadership in these areas has a strong grip on the attitude of the youths, hence the high moral and social discipline there.
But militancy, cultism, robbery and gangsterism have been woven into one mould in Rivers State. In the beginning, pundits told Sunday Vanguard that cultism was restricted to tertiary institutions in the state. But as these cultists graduated from the universities and found their way into top positions in government and politics, the vice was introduced into the system.
A prominent leader in Rivers State told Sunday Vanguard: �At that time, these top shots used their followership to basically terrorise their rivals in business and village politics. However, with the advent of party politics and intense divide in the state politics, these cult recruits graduated into militia outfits that were well funded by government. �Having chased and eliminated real or imagined political enemies out of the state, the sponsored groups became the de-facto army of the waterways, creeks, communities and indeed the city and government.
The boys were more funded and equipped with arms and ammunition than the police in the state. �The groups usurped the powers of the police and sometimes dictated to the police on who to arrest or be released from detention, after committing a criminal offence.This was the root and perhaps the origin of militancy which graduated into so-called freedom fighters. However, disagreement soon set in between the major groups over their relationship with and policy of government, after successfully gaining ground for the leadership.
�As expected, one major group aligned with the powers that be while the opposing side was ignored and eventually hunted and partially silenced. The scenario remained like that until the status quo was severely altered and the favoured side was equally rejected, when the demands and behaviour of this group was becoming an embarrassment to its sponsors. During this period, another small group was being groomed to erase the supremacy of the existing lord. That was how the entire thing grew until we found ourselves in this quagmire. The Asari Dokubos, Ateke Tom and Soboma George, were all products of the system�.
Sunday Vanguard was equally informed by a former cultist and militant that the militants trade oil for arms in the high seas. His words: �When these foreign ships come for illegal bunkering, we request for arms, sophisticated weapons, which they give for oil. The value or quantity of oil far outweigh the prices of the weapons we get from them. But because we need the arms for our protection and businesses, we allow them siphon oil as much as they want for the arms. When we ask for RPG (rocket propelled grenade), dynamites, AK47, barrette rifles, pistols and ammunition, just name it, we get in large quantity from these foreign ships sailing to our territory for oil�.
Observers told Sunday Vanguard that the military operation in Port Harcourt was commendable but that the Nigerian Navy should by these revelations intensify its surveillance on the waterways and subject foreign vessels to thorough search. �That is the only way to halt the source of weapons of the militants, robbers, pirates or hoodlums,� one of the observers said, saying: �Further to this, the creeks must be thoroughly combed for the hideouts of these hooligans. Boats coming into the city must be subjected to intense scrutiny. These terrorists do not have farms or markets in the creeks; so, they depend on the markets in the towns and cities to survive. What this means is that boats carrying large quantity of food items, beverages, drinks and cigarettes must be intercepted and questioned about their destination�.
The military and perhaps the police must endeavour to sacrifice a bit more for the return of peace to Rivers State and Nigeria. It will be regrettable for the corporate image of the armed forces to be ridiculed by these terrorists, because the pride of a nation is its armed forces and quality of citizens. However, the soldiers will continue to stand tall as they are currently rated, if the rascality and monstrosity of these cultists are forever surmounted.