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Cultism and Violent Crime: An Appraisal of the Security Challenges in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

Author Affiliations

  • 1Center for Conflict and Gender Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Int. Res. J. Social Sci., Volume 5, Issue (12), Pages 37-41, December,14 (2016)

Abstract

Cultism has been a serious social problem facing the Nigerian society. Recently, the Niger Delta of Nigeria has seen rising cases of cult related killings. Cult rivalry is at the center of most homicide committed by cult members. Cult groups are always in constant battle for supremacy and control over turf. Many young people are lured into joining cult because of peer pressure, the desire to belong, and to seek for protection. Our security agencies appear to be overwhelmed by the criminal activities of cultist groups. Apart from criminal homicide, cult members are also linked to other unlawful behaviours such as armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, arson and illegal arms trade. The proliferation of cult groups in the Niger Delta is due to fall in moral standard, structural imbalances in our society, and near total collapse of the Nigerian socio-economic system. While the threat of cultism seems unabated all stakeholders particularly, the government and security agencies need to work together to checkmate the activities of these cult groups. This paper critically examines the problem of cultism, violent crime and insecurity in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. It uses Robert Merton’s Anomie theory as the theoretical framework to analyze the problem of cultism in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.

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