Cult groups compete in recruiting impressionable secondary school students and fresh undergraduates based on deception with myths and misinformation. During and after initiation, cult members get involved in criminal activities in and around campuses including planning and execution of armed robberies, murders, rapes, arson, kidnappings, etc, usually under the heavy influence of drugs and alcohol.

The result is that campus cults have turned educational institutions into one of the most insecure environments with reigns of terror that involve unending inter-cult wars triggered by disagreements over girlfriends and boyfriends, most beautiful girl pageants, drinking spots, modes of dressing, political affiliations, recruitment of new members, etc.

Many students are killed in the process of cult activities. Some of the lucky ones end up being arrested, detained, suspended, expelled, or jailed thereby bringing their educational careers to inglorious ends. Cult members who manage to graduate do so through examination malpractice, intimidation, and blackmail of lecturers. But they end up with serious psychological scars that define the rest of their lives.

Campus cultism goes against one of the cardinal objectives of the National Policy on Education which is the promotion of the physical, emotional, and psychological development of children. The achievement of this objective requires that the menace of campus cults be effectively curbed to restore educational institutions as safe and secured environments for teaching and learning to take place.

Parents are now justifiably fearful for the safety and security of their children and loved ones in educational institutions on account of menace of campus cults. It is painful experience. Each citizen is diminished every time the life of a promising child is brutally snuffed out in a cult-related violence.

Showing concern, being grief-stricken or heartbroken is fine. But is not enough. All stakeholders including parents, educators and leaders must summon courage and rise and take action to stop the mayhem from various spheres of influence. The starting point of success is to work together to sow the seeds of knowledge in the fertile minds of children to empower them early to say no to cultism before they get recruited based on myths and misinformation. This is the mission of campus sense book and campus sense project.