SEUNMANUEL FALEYE
The Promises and Consequences
As the socio-economic situations in Nigeria gets more difficult with citizens scrambling for the few opportunities available for people to attain their potential, eelive.ng can reveal that many Nigerian youths are taking to the lure of cults and the presumed benefits that attend them.
Our investigations indicate that many young people in Nigeria now embrace cultism for the vague assurance that such associations guarantee their protection from all forms of aggression and insecurity. Secondly, they also get the assurances of stupendous wealth. It is believed that becoming a cult member makes one superior to others in the society; one gets whatever they want at the snap of a finger. They get everything from material possessions to women. Thirdly, they are assured of connections; these cults make them believe that they have highly placed individuals in strategic sectors as members so, meeting them will not be a problem. However true or false, most of these young individuals live the rest of their lives dealing with the consequences of their choices.
This sums up the tale of how most unsuspecting and naïve undergraduates in higher institutions and on the streets find their ways to pledging allegiance to cults and sealing their loyalty in the process with a blood covenant.
Music Artistes and Their Membership to Cults
A substantial number of new music artistes are believed to have started to embrace cults as a sure way to gaining quick popularity, excelling, attaining wealth and retaining the respect of music lovers.
In February 28, 2013; the news littered the media space, of the gruesome broad daylight murder of then fast-rising Afropop artiste, Damilola Olaniyan, known by stage name Danimo Damoche, a final year student of Banking and Finance, in Lagos State University, LASU. He was murdered in an alleged campus related cult fracas. He was shot in the head and left dead by assailants on motorcycle, who were believed to be members of a rival faction. That news stirred debates on social media, with some quarters questioning how many more musicians and entertainers belong to one cult or the other.
Although no entertainer would readily admit membership of a cult since such associations are meant to be secretive and against the laws of the country. Investigation by eelive.ng indicates that more young Nigerian artistes see their breakthrough from membership of cults.
A fast-rising rap artiste, who, for the purpose of this interview simply wants to be identified as OZ, explains that: “…No one (entertainer) will ever come out boldly to tell the world that he is a cultist. You know it is not too good for the brand in entertainment. But I know a lot of Bucket Men in the music business. They are my brothers. By the way, I am a Sea Lord. People know us as the Buccaneers. I have met a few ‘fine boys’ in the industry, if you know what I mean, during our confraternity ceremonies. I know a popular comedian who is a Buccaneer. Our men are everywhere, we stand out. People will never know out there because, these men are highly intelligent and coded. They’re not noise makers too.”
It makes one wonder if it matters the logic behind membership when the outcome remains the same?
How They Become Members
Eelive.ng was told these groups are more present in the society than the average Nigerian realizes. An upcoming afro-pop artiste who asked not to be named explained this to us in an interview. He said, “I have been an Ax Man since my Uni days, at UNIBEN, not start when I started doing music. One thing you should know is, our guys are everywhere, so it’s just a matter of uniting with your guys anywhere you get to. We always have each other’s back. We protect each other. I have a lot of big bros in the music game. They show me the way in the industry.”
An associate of one of Nigeria’s leading artiste however explained that while it’s true that majority of the artistes have affiliations with cults and such groups, a significant number of them did not go in search of memberships. According to the music promoter who simply wants to be known as Alex: “Most of these A-List music stars are into cultism. But some of them joined as celebrities for protection and simply to socialize. The difference for most of them is, they did not become members by applying to join. And they don’t go through the same drilling and process hard-core cultists go through.
“The celebrities are just honorary members of the groups; they are present at the cults ceremonies and special gatherings. It is a boost to the cult group to say so-so celebrity is a member of our cult group. In turn they provide cover for that celebrity and makes sure, he is safe where ever he goes. They give the celebrity a sense of covering,” he explained, saying that most of the affiliations have no negative repercussions.
Adegoke Was Lured into Black Axe with Promise to Meet Davido
Obi Adegoke (25) was among 27 suspected cultists paraded by the police in November, 2018, online news tabloid, Daily Post reported. According to confessional statements from Adegoke, he was lured into membership.
He said; “I am an Aiye member (Black Axe). I have been in the cult for about two years. I was told that Davido was a member and if I join, I will be able to meet him. It was the guy who initiated me that said so. He said he worked for Davido and that it will be easy access. But since I joined, I have not met Davido. They told me I’ll become a very popular musician but see where I am now.”
“I am renouncing my membership of Aiye. I will never belong to any cult again. They should look at my face very well. They will never see me in their midst again,” he added with regret.
Decoding Their Identity
Regardless of how celebrity artistes join confraternities, there is something to be said about how they identify their membership.
Sources inform us that although the cult tradition is more common to hustling and aspiring musicians who aim at catching on to fame speedily, several established artistes are also part of the wave. Each of these groups have different means of identification only known to their members. These range from the language they speak to the colors of their attires. Eelive.ng also discovered that over fifty different confraternities, including other mushroom secret cults and associations are patronized across the country.
Some of these include the Neo-Black Axe Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as Black Axe Confraternity, their signature appearance is the Black Beret, while members sometimes adorn full black color regalia. A certain music icon in the industry is renowned for occasionally appearing in his music videos in plain black. Insinuations are rife that he might just be subtly revealing his allegiance to his confraternity. The music icon, several years ago, was attacked twice and shot at in what people have claimed was a cult attack.
Members of the National Association of Sea Lords, otherwise known as the Buccaneers Confraternity, are renowned for wearing Yellow Berets while the Blue Beret is worn by the acclaimed Air Lords, a cult which runs with the official name, Supreme Eiye Confraternity.
Entertainers understand Nigeria is a heterogeneous society and their fan base cuts across people with different ethnic, religious and social biases. As a result, they only make bold to leave cryptic signs occasionally of their cult affiliations. They wear colors peculiar to their cult groups in what might be mistaken for passive fashion statement.
The Supposed Benefits of Belonging to A Cult
From eelive.ng findings, the decision to belong to a cult is usually fueled by the successes recorded by some artistes in the industry. According to a show promoter who spoke anonymously; “The reason why you see some very good artiste who are not successful and yet, there are some artistes who are average yet, they headline shows, get endorsements and go on tours and so on, is because of how these artistes relate.
He explained further: “Sometimes, the ones that ‘belong’ get favors, because the brand influencer and probably the corporate affairs manager is his brother who will have his back anytime. Unlike that new guy who knows nothing apart from his music. Relationship is also a huge part of the business. So, we cannot rule out the fact that relationship is also a part of the business. Some of these celebrities take the decision to join these groups as a strategy to further build their careers. That is why some of these artistes have been linked to numerous organizations including Illuminati and Church of Satan. I’m not making case for anybody here, but don’t blame these guys sometimes, you know where they have been and the sacrifices they have made to get to the top, you will truly appreciate their hustle.”
It is a sore tragedy that the ugly menace of cultism in Nigeria has turned campuses and streets in the country into a blood thirsty islands where rifles, axes, knifes and talismans are brandished in daylight, with young men and women going after each other’s lives, as a result of cult brainwash that tells them that anyone who is not with them is certainly against them.
Eelive.ng investigations revealed that numerous promising artistes have been quenched in their prime to cult violence, and the once that the long arms of the law have caught, live the rest of their lives dealing with the consequences of their ill-informed choices.
The Repercussions of Cultism
Entertainers make being a member of a confraternity appear like it’s no qualms. However, the fact that a large number of onlookers are fixated on the lifestyle, sense of fashion, mannerisms and more forces it to be a cause of concern. The narrow lens through which adoring fans worship so-called celebrities might end up to be the very thing that jeopardizes their future.
Mrs Tinuke Tinubu, a single mother of an adolescent, who is much aware and into pop culture as well as is trends in society, attested to this summation.
She reasoned; “A lot of these celebrities don’t know that it is a huge responsibility to be a role model. They are role models. A lot of our children don’t listen to us parent anymore. It is what they watch on TV, and the half-baked moral instructions that they listen to in music that they adhere to. It is really sad. Raising a child has never been this tough, like it is in this 21st century.
A lot of these entertainers are co-parents with us these days. And Sadly, most of them are morally bankrupt themselves. As a mother how do I tell my 17-year-old son that cultism wastes a person’s life and has no future, when his favorite musician is a known cultist, and he is thriving notwithstanding?”
Ms. Susan Mokeme, an early life school teacher, does not agree any less on the negative effects of cultism and wrong association on wards, as a result of influence from entertainers. She said: “Nigeria is a heterogeneous society, and that poses inherent danger on Nigerians, however, there are benefits of being a heterogeneous society. But the thing is, it makes everything look normal. Including things that should naturally be unanimously condemned by society. Some will tell you it’s not a big deal, while others stand against it.
“This same cultism issue that stands condemned, you will be surprised some parents are the once encouraging their wards into joining it. I know a father like that who belongs to a cult, and their male children are in the same group with him. That of the kind of society we have in our hand, sadly.”