Cultism
By Mateen Badru
Lagos, July 7, 2018 (NAN) Security experts in Lagos on Saturday tasked religious leaders and family heads to lead the campaign against increasing cult activities among youths.
The experts, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), urged religious leaders and family heads to take up their responsibility as the first contact before a child moves to the world at large.
Mr Olajide Oletu, a security expert, said religious leaders and family heads should take out time to advise youths, especially minors under the age of 18, on the evils of cultism.
“Family heads should create time to talk to their children and educate them on how not to be influenced by negative peer pressures.
“Religious heads should also be in the forefront, preaching to the youth to shun cultism and other evils of the society,’’ he said.
Mr Olawale Peters, a security consultant said the fight against cultism should not be left with security operatives alone, saying that the family had important role to play.
“It is when a child lacks the necessary home training that he turns out to terrorize the society which he should contribute to.
“It is safe to say security operatives are only being put on their toes on issues of cultism as a result of parents’ inadequacies.
“This is why the fight should not be left only for security operatives,” he said.
NAN recalls that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal, had called on parents to monitor their children following the arrest of 14 suspected cult members, 10 of which were minors.
Similarly, Mrs Aisha Lawal, another security consultant, said that messages conveying the evils of cultism be included in school curriculum to curb the trend.
“Cultism has gone beyond higher institutions; it now trends in secondary schools and primary school. I will suggest that messages condemning cultism be conveyed to children from an early age.
“I will also suggest that religious leaders utilise the Arabic and Sunday School to preach messages that tell children to shun cultism,’’ she said. (NAN)
BOM/ACO/WOJ
Edited by Abiodun Oluleye/Wale Ojetimi