In recent times, the
police have beamed their searchlight on cult activities across the country.
This has led to several raids that have yielded results in Lagos, Anambra and
Rivers states, as cultists were rounded up in their hundreds.
Among those
arrested was a 16-year-old girl, Ifechukwu Atunanya, who claimed that she was
forced to sleep with every male member of the cult during her initiation.
Recovered from them were guns, matchet and several wraps of Indian hemp.
Ifechukwu was among 75
suspected cult members who were rounded up by Anambra State Police command on
July 3, 2015. All the suspects were alleged to be members of the Supreme
Vikings Confraternity and were all arrested in a bush in Awka during the initiation
of new members.
According to the state
Commissioner of Police, Hosea Karma, the police acted on an intelligence report
that the cult members and their new entrants were in a bush performing some
rituals. The raid was conducted by the Anti-Cultism Squad led by Supol Dickson
Osamuonyi.
Part of their ritual, he
explained, includes sleeping with female intending members. He said they do
that in order to secure their oath of secrecy. It was during the raid that
16-year-old Ifechukwu was arrested.
At the police station,
Ifechukwu, a secondary school dropout and member, claimed that she had to
travel to Anambra from Abuja just to witness the initiation of new members. “I
joined them three months ago and during my initiation, I was forced to have sex
with every registered member of the cult present that night. I was given a
sedative so as not to feel what they were doing. It was not easy, but I bore
the pain,” she said.
Her parents, who are from
Anambra State, are still alive. However, Ifechukwu said that they were not
aware of her secret cult activities. “I got to know about the cult activity
through a friend. She assured me that all the connection that I needed in this
life will be made if I joined the group. I am from a poor family and I wanted
to be the light that will change the situation in my family.
“She never told me that I
will be raped till the day of initiation. The day we were initiated, I was the
only girl in their midst. Although, I have not started reaping the gains, I
was determined to be a successful member. I was further convinced to stay
because I discovered that they are more honourable than the others. I am sorry
and would love to be given the opportunity to go back to school. I never knew
that it is crime to be a member. I am sorry,” Ifechukwu pleaded.
Another
member, Ugochukwu Agbazuo, who also spoke with Saturday
Sun, said that they are all undergraduates of various institutions
in Anambra. “Apart from some of our national leaders, we are all students. I
was initiated into the cult while I was still in my first year. I had no
choice but to join them because of the harassment in school. I discovered that
most of the Engineering students in my school were members of different cult
groups.
“Again, if you identify
with a known cult in school, the lecturers will respect you. You don’t have to
buy handouts or offer bribe to get credit in a course. This was why I joined
them,” he said.
Ugochukwu insisted that
they did not steal or harass innocent people. “The guns that were found with us
were bought in case there was a clash in school. It is our leaders who are all
graduates and working across the country that normally assist us to secure the
arms. It is strictly for defence and one of the rules of our group is that you
must read and pass your exams on merit.”
On the issue of rape, Ugochukwu
said it only happened with female members. A female intending member cannot
undergo the rigorous process during the initiation. So, our leaders suggested
that the best way to get them under oath is for every registered member to
have sex with her during initiation. She would be semi-conscious during the
process so that she will not physically feel the pain. Ifechukwu’s case was
better because we were only 20 registered men present on her day of initiation.
All of our female members were raped,” he further said.
- Daily Sun
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