THE MENACE OF CULTISM IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The menace of cultism in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State in Nigeria includes amongst others; rampant killing of human beings and destruction of people’s properties. This work is geared towards positing the havoc cultism had caused in recent times especially between 2018 to January 2023, at the area of study and the solutions to these hazards. The Attachment Theory, Behavioural Genetics Theory, Ecological Systems Theory and the Archbishop Alexander Chibuzor Ibezim’s Charge (2023), employed in this work exposes that lack of closeness and love between parents and children, bad behavioural patterns learned from parents by children, negative societal influence on children and the inability of parents to train their children in Godly principles are the major reasons youngsters get involved in cultism which facilitate massive destruction of lives and properties in Awka South Local Government Area in recent times. Again, a reasonable number of these secret cult groups have Adult members that are wealthy and who sponsors their despicable acts. This work focuses on Okpuno and Awka town in Awka South Local Government Area. The qualitative method of data analysis was employed in this work. It streamlined all the gathered data via historical and phenomenological approach.