CONFRATERNITIES (CULT GROUPS) IN NIGERIA AND THEIR HISTORY

In Nigeria, a confraternity is a group that is nominally
university-based, though ‘street and creek’
confraternities began in the 1990s. The
first confraternity, the Pyrates Confraternity was
created as a social organization for promising
students.
However, as new confraternities were formed, they
became increasingly violent through the 1970s and
1980s.
By the 1990s, many confraternities largely
operated as criminal gangs, called “campus cults” in
Nigeria. Besides normal criminal activity,
confraternities have been linked to political violence,
as well as the conflict in the Niger Delta.
In no particular order, here are the “Top 7
Confraternities in Nigeria and their History”
1)Pyrate Confraternity
Ahoi-Seadog
In 1952, Wole Soyinka and a group of six friends
(Ralph Opara, Ikhehare Aig-Imokhuede, Sylvanus
Egbuchie, Nathaniel Oyelola, Pius Oleghe, Olumuyiwa
Awe) formed the Pyrate Confraternity at the elite
University College, Ibadan, then part of the
University of London. According to the Pyrates, the
“Magnificent Seven”, as they called themselves,
observed that the university was populated with
wealthy students associated with the colonial powers
and a few poorer students striving in manner and
dress to be accepted by the more advantaged
students, while social life was dictated by tribal
affiliation.
Soyinka would later note that the Pyrates wanted to
differentiate themselves from “stodgy establishment
and its pretentious products in a new educational
institution different from a culture of hypocritical
and affluent middleclass, different from alienated
colonial aristocrats”. The organization also known as
the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) adopted
the motto “Against all conventions”, the skull and
crossbones as their logo, while members adopted
confraternity names such as “Cap’n Blood” and “Long
John Silver”.
When fellow students protested a proposal to build a
railroad across the road leading to the university,
fearing that easier transportation would make the
university less exclusive, the Pyrates successfully
ridiculed the argument as elitist.
Roughly analogous to the fraternities and sororities
of North America, the Pyrates Confraternity proved
popular among students, even after the original
members moved on. Membership was open to any
promising male student, regardless of tribe or race,
but selection was stringent and most applicants were
denied. For almost 20 years, the Pyrates were the
only confraternity on Nigerian campuses.
Beliefs and sayings:
Odas is Odas (010)
No Friend, No Foe (NFNF)
Absolute No Lagging (ANL)
Members are known as: Ahoy, PC, etc
2)Buccaneers Association of Nigeria (BAN)
Alora—Sealords
In 1972, Bolaji Crew (Code-named “Late Ahoy Rica
Ricardo”) and others were expelled from the Pyrates
for failing to meet expected standards. Carew went
on to found the Buccaneers Confraternity (also called
the National Associations of Sea Lords), largely
copying the Seadogs’ structure, symbols and
ceremonies.
A major impetus for the creation of new
confraternities was the fact that members of the new
groups simply did not meet the high academic and
intellectual standards set by the Seadogs, and thus
considered the original organization to be elitist..
Different notorious cult groups had emerging without
check from the concerned authority, unleashing
terror on humanity and posterity.
Some beliefs and sayings:
No prize no pay
No brothers in the wood
No laughing on board
Blood for blood
Let the devil that lead you guide you
They have other sayings, which are basically thereby
to make new members feel they made the right
choice in belonging to a fraternity with such high
code of conduct and discipline.
Members are known as:Fine boys, Ban Boys, Alora,
Bucketmen, Lords, etc
3)Supreme Vikings Confraternity (SVC)
Aro-Mates
The Supreme Vikings Confraternity (National
Association of Adventurers or, alternately, De
Norsemen Club of Nigeria) was formed by three
young men 1982 who were former members of the
Buccaneers at the University of Port Harcourt.
They have the following code-names:
Rising angel
Eric De Red
Troppence
It was also called victory COSSA presently the Alpha
Marine patrols.
Beliefs and saying:
Blood on the high sea
Singing songs of Hojas
Never to hang a leg
Even in the face of death.
Members are referred to as: Aro-mates,
Adventurers, Vultures, e.t.c.
4)Confraternity
Aye-Axemen
The Neo-Black Movement of Africa (also called ) was
formed at the University of Benin in Benin City in
1976 by some young men with the motive of building
a body to fight against the oppression against Black
men (Students) at the university.
Those who initiated this association are rumoured to
be runaways from of Africa, an organization in South
Africa that fought the apartheid war and escaped into
Nigeria for safety. Investigation has shown that it was
the borrowed notion that was imported to Nigeria.
Some of their beliefs and saying includes:
The Black Man will be freed with an axe
No phuck ups
Forgiveness is a sin
Don’t betray your brother in the hood
Obey before complain or Abeyance
He who price must pay
Members are referred to as: Aye Axe-men, Seven (7)
or Amigos
5)Mafia Confraternity
Ciao-Sons
The Mafia Confraternity aka The Family Fraternity-
COSANOSYRA was formed in 1978 at the University
of Ilorin in Kwara State, but started operation in
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1980.
It started with eight ( persons in its mob (institution)
called the ONO-BRIGADO (1st Brigade) with the first
Don as Don KOOLKAT. This cult is styled after the
notorious Chicago and Italian Mafia/Mob stars
Some of their belief and sayings include:
It is better for a bastard (non initiate) to chance/
provoke a member than for a numbered bastard
(members of other cult group)
Retaliation after oppression
Secrecy is where our power lies
They believe in gambling, partying, dating girls, etc.
Members are referred to as: Maf or Mafians
6)Eternal Fraternal Order Of Legion Consortium
Dedy na debt
This cult was started by five students at the
University of Calabar, Cross River State during the
military era in 1983. Its ideals were borrowed from a
cult in California and bears another name known as
ETERNAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF LEGION
CONSORTIUM or KLANSMEN KONFRATERNITY (KK).
Members worship a demon called “Ogor” as their
god. Symbolized by a human skull, mostly that of a
mad/insane man.
Their beliefs and sayings:
The affairs of a klansman before any other thing in
life
What concerns a klansman concerns all klansmen
Status of other cult members are not considered or
relevant
Oath of secrecy abide to all members
Peaceful man in a deadly mood, disagree to agree
Members are referred to as: ‘Klansman’ or ‘Klansmen’
7)Eiye Confraternity
Haba-Krier
The Supreme Eiye Confraternity (also known as the
National Association of Air Lords) was formed in the
University of Ibadan in 1965, also affiliated to the
Eiye Secret Society, which exist in the western part of
Nigeria. It was formed by the following students:
Goke Adeniji, Dele Nwakpele, Bayo Adenubi, Bode
Fadase, Tunde Aluko, Kayode Oke, and Bode
Sowunmi among others.
It was named Eiye group and later metamorphosed
into Supreme Eiye Confraternity (SEC). This cult group
was established to make positive impact on the
social-political mind, social cultural, physical and
mental development of its members, and where
indifferent to other conventional cult group.
Beliefs and sayings:
Secrecy
Autocracy
Discipline
Brotherhood
No Friend No Foe
Members are referred to as: Fliers, Airforce,
Airlords, e.t.c
OTHERS
Other confraternities in Nigeria are Thu-Thu, Red
Sea, Mgbamgba Brothers, Black Cat, The Fame, Snow
Men, Fraternity of Friends, Black Cobra of Ife,
Canary, Green Berrets, The Blood Spot, Scorpion, etc.
The Ladies are not left out when you talk about
confraternities in Nigeria. So not neglecting them,
below is a list of the top female confraternities:
Black-bra, Black Berets, Woman Brassier (brave),
Daughters of Jezebel, Pink Lady, Amazons, White
Angels, Lady of Rose, Sisterhood of Darkness, Golden
Daughters, The Ten wonderful Girls, White Ladies,
The Royal Queens, Daughters of the Knight, The
Knights of the Aristos, etc.
The sorority groups were formed as female
responses to their male counterparts’ activities,
imitations, and most interestingly these females are
girlfriends of the members of the male cult groups.
They act as spies to their male counterparts,
prostitutions syndicates, agents of set-ups, e.t.c.
“Remember, VIOLENCE DOES NOT PAY”