NDDC takes fight against cultism, drug abuse to secondary schools

…Targets 10,000 youths in the Niger Delta

Cultism is a dangerous and destructive practice that has sadly taken root in many educational institutions in Nigeria.

It involves secret membership in groups that often promote violence, criminal behavior, and blind loyalty to harmful ideologies.

To educate youths of the Niger Delta on the dangers of cultism, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) an agency of government established to see to the development of the oil producing areas of Nigeria, initiated an anti-cultism sensitisation campaign.

The campaign, which is to be sustained according to the Commission, is part of a broader initiative, planned to be implemented across the 9-oil producing states, including Abia State.

The increasing prevalence of cultism and related violent activities within educational institutions has become a significant concern, posing serious threats to students’ safety, academic performance and overall youth development in the Niger Delta.

In response, Migvidav Nigeria in partnership with the NDDC, is implementing this initiative, to complement the efforts of the Ministry of Education, by promoting awareness, behavioural reorientation and a culture of peace among students.

The campaign focuses on raising awareness on the dangers and consequences of cultism and youth violence, promoting a culture of peace, discipline and positive peer influence, engaging students, through interactive sessions, including drama and discussions and raising peace ambassadors in selected schools.

The Abia leg of the programme kicked off on May 6 and ended on May 8, 2026, in some selected secondary schools in three local government areas of the state.

The selected schools were Asa High School, in Ukwa West LGA, Government Technical College, Aba, in Aba North LGA, Ngwa High School and Abayi Girls Secondary school, Abayi, both in Osisioma LGA.

Egondu Esinwoke, lead consultant at

Migvidav Nigeria Limited, in her opening address, advised students to say no to cultism, because it destroys their future, endangers lives, and corrupts their values.

She said that cultism leads to academic failure, noting that students involved in cult activities often skip classes, get into trouble with authorities, and lose focus on their studies, as a result of suspension, expulsion, or even imprisonment ruining the educational and career opportunities that school is meant to provide.

“It promotes violence and fear. Members are often involved in fights, attacks, and illegal activities that threaten the safety of others on campus, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity, which can prevent students from learning in peace.

“It also destroys moral values. It teaches loyalty to a group over what is right, encouraging members to harm others for power or revenge. This corrupts the minds of young people, who should instead be learning how to become responsible and respectful citizens.”

She urged students to say no to cultism, because it offers nothing but destruction.

According to her, education should be a path to a brighter future, not a trap into darkness. “Students must make wise choices, choose their friends carefully, and report any suspicious activities to the right authorities.”

She emphasised that saying no to cultism is saying yes to life, peace, and success.

“At Migvidav Nigeria Limited, we believe that every student has a bright future. That is why we are proud to support this campaign alongside our partners.

“Dear students, the choices you make today will shape your tomorrow. You have the strength to resist peer pressure and the wisdom to choose what is right.

“Not just for yourselves, but for your friends, your families, and your community. Together, we can build safer schools and a better society,” she said.

Hyginus Okolie, a staff in the Dispute Resolution Department of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) said that the project is aimed at building human capital, stressing that human capital and infrastructural development are cardinal points of the commission’s mission.

He said: “NDDC wants to use this programme to create a safer society; a drug-free society is a better society.”

He affirmed that catching these children young and helping them know the dangers of drug abuse and cultism at this young age is better for the Niger Delta region, because it’ll help the security of the region.

“We believe that prevention is better than cure. We must not allow drugs and cultism before we start doing something. This is happening in all the 9-Niger Delta States. We are capturing over 1000 in every state and when you look at it deeply, it’s over 10,000 youths.”

He said that his team was in Abia State to monitor the programme to ensure that it was properly executed. “It’s not just enough to give money to agencies, but to make sure that the project is well implemented,” he said.

Frank Nwaohamou, an assistant commander, Narcotics Drugs, Abia State command of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while speaking on the dangers of drug abuse and its link to cultism, urged the students to say no to drugs and yes to purposeful life.

Nwaohamou, who is in charge of Training, Prevention and Sensitisation, in the Abia State Command of NDLEA, further advised the students not to indulge in drugs, as it is the easiest way to destroy their future.

He added that the link between drug addicts, drug users are slim, as drug abuse is the shortest link to cultism.

Nwaohamou educated the students on the types of drugs, there dangers and negative effects of all the aforementioned drugs, including brain damage, and warned the students to always prefer prevention to cure, stressing that rehabilitation is not always the solution.

The Assistant Commander of Narcotics, told the students that drug abuse has gone to a different height, as the sellers of the drugs, now package them in ways unsuspecting minds, like the students may not know and suspect.

“It destroys your central nervous system. When the brain and the spinal cord are affected by these drugs, you’re in trouble, as more than 80percent of spinal cord injuries all over the world are caused by drugs.

“It goes straight to the part of the brain that controls your sense of judgement, decision making and memory and destroys it completely. And when that happens, you see someone taking a decision similar to only what a mad person can take.”

He urged the curriculum designers in the country to include drugs in curriculum, so that students will be properly informed at earlier stage to avoid such substances, their abuse and addiction.

Amaka Biachi, a lawyer and resource person, appealed to young people to avoid joining bad groups.

She also urged them to report any act of intimidation or bullying from fellow students to their teachers.

“Don’t accept gifts that you cannot afford, because it could be a ploy to introduce you to cultism and other heinous crimes,” she advised.

Caroline Nzeadibe, the principal, senior section of Asa High School, expressed her gratitude to the NDDC for bringing such a progamme to Asa High School and urged the students to take seriously the lectures given on drug abuse and cultism.

She said that bringing such programmes to school will go a long way in helping both parents and teachers, as the students must have gotten firsthand information from experts in NDLEA and other professionals, who were brought to teach.

For Uloma Onyeanuforo, principal of Junior Secondary School section of Asa High School, cultism and drug abuse are two societal vices no society should pray to have around it.

“With a programme like this, our students will build around it and be greater people tomorrow,” she said.

Chiamaka Caleb, a senior secondary- 3(SS3) student said that she learnt what she never knew about cultism and drug abuse, how to identify them, how to avoid them and the need to eschew herself from friends that may lead her to such societal vices.

Caleb, said that her biggest take home point is that indulging in drug abuse or cultism, can be easy, but exiting is either extremely difficult or sometimes ends terribly.

Goodness Chinyere, an SS2 student, said that having learnt the inexhaustible disadvantages of drug abuse and cultism, onus now lies with her to ensure that her immediate younger ones, who may find the messages difficult to interpret get it interpreted by her.

“I learnt that those two vices destroy future. They don’t spare anyone. I learnt that the best way to survive it, is to avoid mixing up with those involved in these two vices, because they’ll corrupt anyone mixing up with them.”

Also, Chukwubuikem Chukwudi, an SS2 student, explained that he learnt about choosing his friends properly and that drug abuse is responsible for the

high rate of madness among the youths.