Standup9ja: Cultism upsurge worries Mararaba residents

Standup9ja: Cultism upsurge worries Mararaba residents

Residents of Mararaba, a slum settlement near Abuja, are worried over rising cases of cultism among teenagers in the area.

 City News learnt that different cult groups often clash, causing chaos in the community. 

One of the residents, who would not like to be named, said the violent clashes often result in casualties that cause parents and guardians a lot of financial and emotional stress.

 “Recently, I learnt that some suspected cultists, said to be between ages 13 and 18 years, wanted to initiate a teenage girl at Kabayi in Mararaba here and when she resisted, the whole thing went awry.

“She was attacked and wounded in her private part. I heard people said that the girl later died. The boys are terrible and you dare not talk about them.  If you do, you risk your life,” the source said.

Another resident who also craved anonymity said, “We live in fear here, the boys and their girls in various uniforms operate freely both day and night and everybody is keeping quiet. They almost removed one boy’s eye and cut another’s hand in Kabayi recently, after a violent clash.”

The source further said one of the boys attacked his father some months ago and the man nearly died simply because he queried the son over his suspicious activities and suspected membership of one of the groups.  

The source said almost everywhere in Mararaba the suspected cultists terrorize people, snatching handsets, money and other valuables from people.

“We don’t know how they get their information, whatever you say about them they know and will continue to hunt you until they attack you, it’s frightening,” one of the residents said.

 When contacted, the Nasarawa State Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Idrisu Kennedy, who described cultism as “a disturbing phenomenon,” said most of the cases were not reported thereby allowing the social problem to thrive.

He said two cases were reported about two months ago and the suspects were taken to court and prosecuted, adding that in some cases there is nobody to testify and the suspects will be set free.

He urged parents to train their children properly and monitor their movement so that they will not engage in cult activities.