Afikpo youths protest against cultism

Due to the nefarious activities of cultists in Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi state, youths of the area on Monday held a protest to draw attention to the negative effects of cultism.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “We stand against cultism and its activities”, “Say no to youth killing”, “Cultism is 100% bad”, “Say No to Cultism”, “Cultism is a scam”, “Cultism kills faster than cancer,” “Cultism pays N0.00k”, “Cultism is not ruggedity,” among others, the protesting youths marched from Eke market roundabout to different communities in the local government.

Closely monitored by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), who drove behind the more than one hundred youths in a patrol van, young men and women joined them at different intersections, as they chanted solidarity songs disclaiming cultism.

In an exclusive chat with Blueprint, leader of the protesting youths, Ken Inya Oyimagada, said that the peaceful protest was borne out of the fact that many young men and women have lost their lives to cultism.

He said that a recent reference was the death of a young boy who recently graduated from the university and was awaiting mobilization to partake in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), but was allegedly hacked down by cultists in November; in the process of initiation into a cult group.

He said: “We are saying NO to cultism and cult related activities, because it is an evil that blows no one any good. The protest today is our Christmas gift to Afikpo residents. We have nothing else to offer than to make the lives of youths to be reasonable.

“Cultism is deceitful and a destiny killer, so we are not ashamed of doing what is right. If we don’t tell our youths the truth, the sad reality will haunt is forever. We are not fighting war in Afikpo, any youth who claims to be rugged should join the Army to fight Boko Haram in Sambiza forest, not to threaten hapless people.”

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