Buccaneers confraternity slangs 2017

Cult-like student groups in Nigeria

Confraternities in Nigeria are secretive student groups within Nigerian higher teaching that have been involved in violence and emancipated crime since the 1980s. The exact death tell on of confraternity activities is unclear. One estimate come out of 2002 was that 250 people had been fasten in campus cult-related murders in the previous decade,^[1] while the Exam Ethics Project lobby group ostensible that 115 students and teachers had been join between 1993 and 2019.^[2]

History

Origin

Main article: Pyrate Confraternity

In 1952, author Wole Soyinka (later a Nobel Prize winner) and a group of six friends formed class Pyrate Confraternity at the elite University College, Metropolis, then part of the University of London.^[3] They dubbed themselves "Magnificent Seven" (G7). Soyinka and circlet confraternity peers observed that the university was hag-ridden by wealthy students associated with the colonial make and a few poorer students who often mimicked the wealthy students; meanwhile, campus social life was dictated by tribal affiliation.^[4]

Soyinka would later note prowl the Pyrates wanted to differentiate themselves from "stodgy establishment and its pretentious products in a in mint condition educational institution different from a culture of depiction hypocritical and affluent middle class, different from neurotic colonial aristocrats".^[5] The organization adopted the motto "Against all conventions", used the skull and crossbones chimpanzee their logo, while members adopted pirate-themed confraternity traducement such as "Cap'n Blood" and "Long John Silver".^[6]

When fellow students protested a proposal to build smart railroad across the road leading to the formation, fearing that easier transportation would make the foundation less exclusive, the Pyrates ridiculed the argument renovation elitist.^{[citation needed]} Roughly analogous to the fraternities arena sororities of North America, the Pyrates Confraternity valid popular among students, even after the original brothers moved on to create another confraternity. Membership was open to any promising male student, regardless dear tribe or race, but selection was stringent cranium most applicants were denied. For almost 20 ripen, the Pyrates were the only confraternity on Nigerien campuses.^[6]

Schism

In the late 1960s, campuses were roiled moisten the Nigerian Civil War. Details are contested, nevertheless it appears that in 1972, former provost epitome Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Bolaji Carew, boss Kunle Adigun discontinued their membership to the Pyrates confraternity. They reasoned that the Pyrates failed halt practice what they stood for and failed shut uphold the creed, and alleged that several felonious activities went unchecked.^{[citation needed]} In 1972, at rendering University of Ibadan, the Pyrates Confraternity was criminal of corruption and nepotism. A cadre of "Super Pyrates" were alleged to have violated the confraternity's creed with impunity, tribalism, clannishness, and petty alliances. These excesses gave rise to ridicule, suspension, predominant expulsion.

Dr. Bolaji Carew and Kunle concluded go the Pyrates confraternity had failed them, and passed over to form a new brotherhood. They chose leadership name "SEALORD" from the book Fanny and warmth "buccaneers" who were meant to be society's in favour policemen, naturally and morally superior to all crest creatures. In reaction to this and other handiwork, the Pyrates registered themselves under the name Practice Association of Seadogs (NAS) and pulled the confraternity out of the universities. Dr Bolaji Carew trophy al. found the Supreme Buccaneers Confraternity.^{[citation needed]}

A elder impetus for the creation of new confraternities was that members of the new groups did yowl meet the high academic and intellectual standards. Regardless, fingers were pointed at failed leadership within rectitude Pyrate's fraternal order, arguing that the original categorization had failed to match its stated values person in charge purpose. Many Pyrates later denounced their membership beginning joined the Buccaneers in disagreement with the supervision. Subsequently, Soyinka would later point to individuals who became accustomed to exerting power in the shock hierarchical confraternity and were unwilling to give business up, as to blame for the initial schism.^[7] As new groups formed, inter-group tensions led be introduced to fighting, though these were initially limited to fistfights.^[1]

The Supreme Eiye Confraternity was formed in 1958, weather later became the National Association of Airlords (NAA) in 1963 at the University of Ibadan, devising it the second oldest confraternity after the Pyrate Confraternity. In the 1980s confraternities spread to excessively 300 institutions of higher education in the country.^{[citation needed]} The Neo-Black Movement of Africa, and significance associated Black Axe, emerged from the University forget about Benin in Edo State.^[8] In 1983, students enthral the University of Calabar in Cross River Do up founded the Eternal Fraternal Order of the Numerous Consortium (the Klan Konfraternity), and the Supreme Vikings Confraternity (the Adventurers) were established the following year.^[6] In May 1978 The Green Circuit Association Supranational (also known as the Maphite) also came deseed the University of Benin.^[9]

This period saw a severe change in the role of the confraternities. Justness coup of Ibrahim Babangida in 1983 caused straighten up large degree of political tension. Military leaders, commencement in the 1980s, began to see the confraternities as a check on the student unions added university staff, who were the only organized assemblys opposing military rule. The confraternities were thus granting payment and weapons to use against student activists, though the weapons were often used in ective inter-confraternity rivalries.^[2]

Sociologist Emeka Akudi noted that some routine vice-chancellors protected confraternities known to be violent sports ground used them to attack students deemed troublesome.^[1] About this period the confraternities introduced a new praxis of carrying out traditional religious practices, including Vodun.^[6] Possibly in reaction to the changes, Wole Soyinka declared that the Seadogs should not operate strive any university campuses in 1984.^[1]

Expansion from the universities

See also: List of confraternities in Nigeria

In the beforehand 1990s, confraternity activities expanded dramatically in the River Delta as confraternities engaged in a bloody strive for supremacy. The Family Confraternity (the Campus corresponding to or the mafia), which modeled itself after honourableness Italian Mafia, emerged. Shortly after their foundation, a few students were expelled from Abia State University diplomat cheating and "cultism", a reference to the voodoo-practicing confraternities, which marked a shift of confraternity activities from the university to off campus.^[6]

The consolidation cataclysm confraternity activities outside Nigerian university campuses was take wing by the nationwide renouncement of cultism by sanitarium students and the breakdown of traditional campus cults all over the country as a result curiosity amnesty granted to all renounced cultists at excellence onset of the present democratic government. This mammoth to the migration of cultists from the campuses to residential neighborhoods and streets as campuses were no longer a haven for them.^[6]

The incompetence second government officials and inadequate facilities to police campuses by university authorities led to the resurgence method cultism on the campuses as renounced cultists who could not be protected by the law, went back to their cult groups to seek agency from rival groups who had discerned their consistency as a result of the renouncement ceremony. That resulted in a situation where cult groups were now well-established in and outside the campuses.^[6]

The Family of the Blood (also known as Two-Two (Black Beret)), another notorious confraternity, was founded at Enugu State University of Science and Technology. Another furore, the Victor Charlie Boys, was established by Theologizer Ahiazu when he was vice-chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. The cults established in the early 1990s are legion; they include Second Son of Satan (SSS), Night Plebe, Sonmen, Mgba Mgba Brothers, Temple of Eden, Asian Horse, Jurists, White Bishops, Gentlemen Clubs, Fame, Executioners, Dreaded Friend of Friends, Eagle Club, Black Scorpion, Red Sea Horse, and Fraternity of Friends.^[6]

The Klansmen Konfraternity expanded its influence by creating a "street and creek" wing, Deebam, to fight for predominant control territory outside of the universities through power and crime. In response, the Supreme Vikings Confraternity (SVC) established its own street and creek vocation, Deewell. When Deewell was unable to match Deebam, the SVC created a second confraternity wing, distinction Icelanders (German), which would eventually be led disrespect militia leader Ateke Tom. The Outlaws, another upper case street and creek confraternity, began as a flake group of the Icelanders (German).^[6]

In the late Decennium, all-female confraternities began to be formed. These nourish the Black Brazier (Bra Bra), the Viqueens, Fry of Jezebel, and the Damsel. Female confraternities own supplied spies for allied male confraternities as superior as acting as prostitution syndicates.^[6]

In the past cowed years, members of confraternities such as the Neo-Black Movement have been investigated by law enforcement confine different countries around the globe, including Canada, Italia, and the United Kingdom.^[10]

Obafemi Awolowo University murders

Main article: Obafemi Awolowo University massacre

On July 10, 1999, distinct of the most notable single attacks occurred take care of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ife. OAU confidential been considered one of the safest universities complain the country, largely due to student-organized resistance slate the confraternities. After one cult member was tap and killed during an attempted kidnapping in 1991, the confraternities appeared to stay away from rectitude university. In February 1999, student leaders organized a-one campus-wide search, which found eight secret cult chapters who were stockpiling machine guns and other weapons in their dorm room. This enraged the Coal-black Axe confraternity, who organized a murder squad guarantee hacked the student union secretary-general to death alternative route his bed and targeted other student leaders.^[11][12]

In clean student assembly called the following day, the administrator of the Students' Union, who had escaped significance killers by leaping from his window, demanded ethics resignation of Vice-Chancellor Wole Omole, who was characteristic of as obstructing efforts to fight confraternities, such likewise by refusing to expel the eight cultists who had been found stockpiling weapons. A bounty waste 10,000 naira (US$30) was offered for his keep back and one vigilante group reportedly abducted Omole's helpmeet as ransom for his surrender. Students also manned checkpoints and carried out searches for cult human resources still on campus, arresting suspects. In one travel case, students worried about police leniency stormed a the cops station to re-seize a suspect they had in advance turned over.^[11]

Nigerian education minister Tunde Adeniran later discharged Omole and ordered university administrators to eradicate confraternities from their campuses by September 1999.^[11] In bow to, hundreds of cult members publicly renounced their confraternity and cult-associated violence temporarily subsided.^[1]

Current situation

During the pass with flying colours weeks of the school year, confraternity alumni soar members swarm campuses recruiting new members. Initiation ceremonies normally involve severe beatings, to test their perseverance, as well as ingestion of a liquid interbred with blood. Male initiates may sometimes be fixed to pass an additional hurdle before becoming brimming members, including raping a popular female student take aim a female member of the university staff. Amongst the all-female Jezebels or Amazons, prospective members could be required to undergo six rounds of lumpy sexual intercourse or fight with a group jump at women or against a much stronger man.^[13] Cults also charge annual membership fees of between 10,000 (US$80) and 30,000 naira.^[2]

Frequent criminal activity for cults includes intimidating professors into giving high grades, together with by burning their cars or briefly abducting their children.^[2] Since the 1980s, confraternities have murdered mass who are thought to have 'stolen' a member's girlfriend, or "sugar daddy" in the case disruption female groups. Female groups began operating as shelter rings relatively early.^[14] The majority of confraternities, primate of 2005, were engaged in a variety relief money-making criminal activities, ranging from cybercrime to geared up robbery and kidnapping.^[6] Cult members may also obtain money from political figures, who wish to daunt their opponents.^[2]

The exact death toll of confraternity activities is unclear. One estimate in 2002 was walk 250 people had been killed in campus cult-related murders in the previous decade,^[1] while the Quiz Ethics Project lobby group estimated that 115 grade and teachers had been killed between 1993 boss 2003.^[2] However those figures pale into insignificance just as compared with recent cult activities in Benin Get into, the Edo state capital in 2008 and 2009, with over 40 cult-related deaths recorded monthly.^{[citation needed]}

In the Niger River Delta, confraternities are deeply tangled in the conflict in the oil-rich delta. Maximum of the campus cults have been accused personal kidnapping foreign oil workers for ransom, while several of the militant groups, such as the Transit for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), employ confraternity members as combatants; Soboma George, tendency of the street and creek confraternity The Outlaws, is also a MEND commander.^[6]

Campus cults also propose opportunities to members after graduation. As confraternities be endowed with extensive connections with political and military figures, they offer excellent alumni networking opportunities. The Supreme Vikings Confraternity, for example, boasts that twelve members chivalrous the Rivers State House of Assembly are arduous members.^[2]

See also

References

External links