The Lagos State House of Assembly has called on key commissioners in the state to appear before it, to present actionable plans and strategies aimed at curbing the rising menace of cultism, particularly among the youth in the state.
The commissioners invited are the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget; Youth and Sports; Education; Local Government Administration and Chieftains Affairs and as well the Commissioner of Police.
This resolution was made on Monday under “Matter of Urgent Public Importance,” where lawmaker, Olayinka Kazeem, expressed concerns over the growing unrest in the Mushin area, which is fuelled by the activities of rival cult groups.
He lamented the increasing involvement of school-aged youth in cult-related violence and criminality, stating, “Most of these young individuals ought to be in classrooms but have chosen to engage in destructive acts that threaten our communities.”
Supporting the motion, Ladi Ajomale, who represents a neighbouring constituency, decried the spread of cultism in secondary schools, describing the situation as “alarming and unacceptable.”
He called on the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to initiate targeted youth engagement programmes as a means to dissuade young people from joining cult groups.
Another lawmaker, Stephen Ogundipe, who is the House spokesperson, stressed the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to addressing cultism. According to him, “This issue has evolved into a serious societal threat and requires a broad-based, collaborative effort that includes re-orienting the minds of the youth and providing them with positive alternatives.”
Also contributing, Femi Saheed described the cultism challenge as a socio-cultural problem compounded by the decline in the quality of education and the absence of state policing.
He called for legislative reforms to compel parental responsibility and enhance government intervention.
In his submission, Sa’ad Olumoh advocated the institution of mentorship programmes at the grassroots, encouraging community leaders and stakeholders to take the lead in guiding the youth towards productive lives.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, stated that the issue of cultism was not peculiar to Mushin but had become widespread across the state.
He noted that conventional punitive measures such as imprisonment may no longer be sufficient, stressing the need for preventive and rehabilitative approaches.
“We must begin to look inward, revisit the laws, and expand the scope of intervention.
“Sports and creative engagements must be intensified. Local governments must also rise to the occasion by deploying security personnel to strategic locations and initiating rehabilitation for errant youths,” Obasa said.
