In the past few months residents of Rivers State are living in perpetual fear following increasing wave of cultism, kidnapping, gangsterism, among other social vices.
During the Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili’s administration, the Rivers State House of Assembly (RHSA) under the speakership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the House passed the Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, No. 6 of 2004.
In the said law no fewer than one hundred and one (101) cult groups were listed. And the law says that anyone who give any financial or materials support or assistance to a secret cult or in any manner, sponsors the activities of a secret cult, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for ten years without an option of fine.
Despite the penalty(ies) spelt on in the Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, eleven (11) years after its enactment, activities of cultism seems to grow on daily basis. Businessmen are afraid to invest in the State.
Thus the rate of insecurity in Rivers State is increasing astronomically day by day.
Penultimate week, a chieftain of the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI) in the state, Comrade Olale Osudu was gunned down by unknown armed bandits, while returning from a meeting.
Some weeks back, a young man was beaten to death at Ogbakiri in the Emohua Local Government Area, during a cult initiation process.
Last week no fewer than 10 persons were brutally murdered in Ke community in the Degema Local Government Area following a fierce battle between two rival cult groups.
Many hotels in Port Harcourt metropolis and its environs are harbouring cultists. Hence the Secret Cult Prohibition Law states that: for the purpose of checking the activities of secret cults, all hotels, night clubs and similar places of business in the state shall be registered with the police within three months of the commencement of this law and a certificate of registration shall be issued by the police upon payment of a sum exceeding N500.
Most of the hotels in the state have not gone through the registration processes, hence hotels serve as a safe haven for cultists.
Our findings show that the prohibition law which placed ban on cult groups, some of them are still in operation.
Rivers residents who spoke to this weekly called on the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike to beef up security to combat cult activities in the state.
However, the list of secret cults as contained in the said Secret Cult Prohibition Law of No. 24 of 2004 are as follows:
- Agbaye
- Ainvords
- Amazon
- Barracuda
- Bas
- Bees International
- Black Axe; Neo-Black Movement
- Black Beret Fraternity
- Black Brasserie
- Black Brothers
- Black Cats
- Black Cross
- Black Ladies Club
- Black Olalis
- Black Scorpions
- Black Sword
- Blanchers
- Big 20
- Blood Suckers
- Brotherhood of Blood
- Buccaneers (Sea Lords)
- Burkinafeso: Revolution Fraternity
- Canary
- Cappa Vendetto
- Daughters of Jezebel
- Dragons
- Dreaded Friends of Friends
- Egbe Club
- Elye of Air Lords Fraternity
- Egbe Dudu
- Executioners
- Fangs
- Fliers
- Frigates
- FF
- Gentlemen’s Club
- Green Berets Fraternity
- Hard Candles
- Hepos
- Hell’s Angels
- Himalayas
- Walrus
- Jaggare Confederation
- King Cobra
- KIam konfratenity klansman
- Klu Klux (KKK) Klan Confraternity
- Knite Cadet
- KKK Boys
- Mafia Lords
- Malcom X
- Maphites or Maphiate
- Mgba-Mgba Brothers
- Musketeers Fraternity
- Neo-Black Movement
- National Association of Adventures
- Nite Hawks
- Nite Rovers
- Osiri
- Ostrich Fraternity
- National Association of Seadogs
- Phoenix
- Predators
- Red Fishes
- Red Sea Horse
- Royal Queens
- Scavengers
- Scorpions
- Soko
- Sunmen
- Temple of Eden Fraternity
- The Mafioso Fraternity
- The Scorpion Fraternity
- The Soiree Fraternity
- The Odu Confraternity
- Third Eye Confraternity
- Thomas Sankara Boys
- Trajan Horses Fraternity
- Truth Seekers
- The Vikings
- Vipers
- White Angels
- Sailors
- Icelanders
- BA
- Elegemface
- Vultures
- Bloody Hunters
- Sea Vipers
- Night Mates
- Mob Stab
- Scorpion
- Twin Mate
- KGB
- Day Well
- Day Gbani
- Royal House of Peace
- Tikan Giants
- White Bishops
- Dolphins
- The Forest
- The Mad House
- Vigilante Groups whose activities are similar to Secret Cults.
