By Nadia Binta Ahmed
Nigeria continues to grapple with the menace of secret cult groups, especially in the southern regions, and Osun State is no exception. In 2025, multiple violent incidents have underlined the tragic resurgence of cult clashes in Osun, claiming lives, disrupting education, and sowing fear in communities. This article reviews recent developments, examines root causes, and proposes practical interventions to stem the tide of violence.
Alarming Incidents in 2025:
One of the most distressing recent events occurred in the town of Esa-Oke, where two students of Osun Polytechnic were killed in a clash between rival cult groups. In a separate incident in Ilesa, a motorcyclist and a student were ambushed and fatally shot, a suspected retaliation following earlier cult skirmishes.
Another tragic episode unfolded at the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, where a fresh graduate named Taoreed was struck by a stray bullet during a sign-out celebration turned violent. He had just collected his NYSC call-up letter, and the gunfire erupted outside campus gates.
Adding to the distress, the Osun State Police recently announced the arrest of Ismail Damilare, alias “K!ller,” a 22-year-old cultist apprehended in Osogbo with two locally made pistols and ammunition. He allegedly claimed links to a state official (a claim since denied), which underscores how cult networks may try to insinuate themselves into public office circles.
Earlier in August, six suspected cult members were arrested in Osogbo and environs, with weapons and evidence of affiliation to confraternities like Aiye and Buccaneer, as part of broader efforts by the state police to crack down on cult operations.
All these incidents point to a disturbing pattern: violent clashes around campuses, drive-by attacks on students and civilians, and the brazen use of firearms. The geography is not random: many attacks occur near educational institutions or along transfer routes places where cultists expect soft targets.
Why Is Cult Violence Rising Again?
To combat cultism, it is vital to understand the underlying drivers. Some key contributing factors include:
1. Youth Unemployment & Frustration
Many youths in Osun State, particularly graduates who face difficulty securing employment, are vulnerable to recruitment by cult groups promising protection, identity, or financial incentives. The void left by social alienation and hopelessness often gets filled by dangerous affiliations.
2. Campus Culture and Peer Pressure
Universities and polytechnics have long been hotbeds for cult recruitment, where prestige, protection, and power dynamics lure susceptible students. Cult rivalry around dominance on campus can spiral into full-blown warfare.
3. Weak Law Enforcement & Gaps in Intelligence
Despite anti-cult units, many groups operate below radar, shifting hideouts, and switching leadership. The inability to maintain persistent intelligence on cult cells enables attackers to strike with impunity. The recent arrests show progress but also the scale of the challenge.
4. Political Interference & Impunity Allegations
The arrested suspect Damilare claimed connections to public office (though denied) such claims fuel suspicion that cult networks sometimes enjoy protection or tacit complicity from powerful figures. If true, this erodes public confidence in justice and emboldens perpetrators.
5. Cycle of Retaliation & Tit-for-Tat Killings
Cult clashes often provoke reprisals. One attack triggers retaliation by rival groups, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of violence that increasingly spills into civilian spaces. The Ilesa incident appears to fit this pattern.
Consequences: More than Just Deaths
The damage from cult violence goes beyond fatalities:
Disruption of Academic Activities: Students live in fear; academic calendars get delayed; campuses may shut down temporarily.
Trauma & Psychological Toll: Survivors and communities carry emotional scars. Parents restrict mobility, and youth lose agency.
Erosion of Social Cohesion: When violence seems unstoppable, trust in institutions, in neighbors, and in peace frays.
Loss of Futures: Talented youths lose their lives or potential; families are plunged into grief or poverty.
What Must Be Done: A Multi-Pronged Approach
To reverse the trend and restore peace, several coordinated actions are needed:
1. Strengthening Intelligence & Rapid Response
Expand and resource anti-cult units with modern surveillance tools, undercover operations, and informant networks
Establish a 24/7 response protocol for campus distress calls
Use data analytics to map high-risk routes and predict likely attack zones
2. Campus Security Reforms
Enforce controlled access to campuses, especially during student events
Train campus security personnel in early warning signs and crisis de-escalation
Partner with student unions to establish peer-monitoring groups that discourage cult entry
3. Youth Empowerment & Economic Inclusion
Launch state and local government youth employment schemes targeting graduates
Offer entrepreneurship grants and mentorship programs
Provide career guidance and counseling at secondary and tertiary levels
4. Community & Parental Involvement
Sensitization campaigns to educate parents, religious bodies, and community leaders about recruitment tactics
Encourage reporting of suspicious gatherings and financial flows
Support counseling centers for vulnerable youths
5. Accountability & De-politicization
Ensure investigations into cult-political links are transparent and just
Prosecute offenders irrespective of social or political standing
Promote political leaders’ public stance against cultism, resisting patronage of violent groups
6. Rehabilitation & Reintegration
Offer exit programs for repentant cult members, including counseling, skills training, and monitoring
Use community service or restorative justice models rather than purely punitive approaches
Concluding Reflections
The recent string of cult-related killings in Osun State is both tragic and alarming. What began as secret campus rivalries has now spilled into public streets, endangering ordinary citizens. If unchecked, the violence portends deeper unrest and loss of trust in the state’s capacity to protect.
However, these incidents are not irreversible. With political will, adequate funding, community cooperation, and structural reforms in youth empowerment and campus security, Osun State (and other southern states facing similar scourges) can reclaim peace.
Every life lost is a warning. Every parent who loses a child is a clarion call. The baton now lies in the hands of state and federal authorities, civil societies, institutions, and communities to act decisively before too many dreams are extinguished.
Nadia Binta Ahmed is a graduate of International Relations and Diplomacy and is currently serving as a corp (NYSC) member at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja. She can be reached via email: nadiamami779@gmail.com.
