By: Fred Itua
The Edo State Government has enacted a new law designed to dismantle secret cults and their networks across the state. The Secret Cult and Similar Activities (Prohibition) Law, 2025, came into force on January 24, 2025, marking a major legislative shift in the fight against criminal fraternities.
This law replaces the former 2018 enactment and introduces tougher penalties, broader definitions, and accountability mechanisms aimed at rooting out cultism not just from tertiary institutions, but from communities, traditional structures, public offices, and the hospitality industry.
Under the new law, cult groups—whether known, emerging, or operating under disguised names—are banned in their entirety. The law recognizes that cults often change names and tactics and thus defines cultism broadly to cover any group that operates in secrecy or promotes violence. The punishment for being a member of such a group, armed or not, is life imprisonment or a minimum of twenty-one years in jail.
But the crackdown does not stop at membership alone. The law also criminalizes any form of sponsorship or support. Those who fund, shelter, or in any way assist cult groups face the same level of punishment as active members. This includes traditional rulers, school administrators, civil servants, and even security agents who aid or abet cult activities. Offenders not only risk imprisonment but also face dismissal or dethronement, making it clear that status will not shield anyone from the weight of the law.
The private sector is not left out. Property owners who allow cult meetings on their premises, knowingly or unknowingly, face a minimum of ten years imprisonment and possible demolition of the property. Hotels, bars, and nightclubs have been placed under tighter regulatory control. Establishments that permit cult-related meetings or violent gatherings face up to twenty years in prison and risk forfeiture or demolition of the premises.
To tighten surveillance, the law now mandates that all hospitality businesses register with the Ministry of Commerce and Tourism within a three-month grace period. Failure to register will attract monthly fines starting from N100,000 and rising up to N1 million every six months, with closure orders for those who default beyond a year. All hotels and guest houses must now submit a monthly guest list to the appropriate authorities, adding a layer of monitoring to help trace cult activities.
In terms of violence and weapon possession, the law is clear and uncompromising. Brandishing dangerous weapons with the intent to intimidate attracts a ten-year sentence. Possession or conspiracy to procure such weapons near schools or public institutions is punishable with a minimum of five years. Where cult clashes result in injury, a twenty-one-year sentence applies; if a person is killed, the offender faces a capital punishment.
Edo State lawmakers have described the law as a necessary response to a deteriorating security situation. In recent years, cult-related killings, especially among young people in urban and semi-urban centers, have escalated. Communities have lived in fear, with rival groups clashing over territory, influence, and vengeance.
With the passage of this law, the Edo State Government has taken a firm stand: cultism, in any form, will no longer be condoned. The law places responsibility on all stakeholders—schools, traditional institutions, hospitality businesses, parents, and security agencies—to uphold the values of peace and safety.
Already, enforcement agencies have been directed to begin immediate implementation. Awareness campaigns are ongoing to educate the public on the provisions of the law, while community leaders are being urged to cooperate with authorities to fish out offenders.
As Edo moves to rid itself of the scourge of cultism, the success of the new law will depend not only on legislation but also on consistent enforcement and community participation. This legal reform is a bold declaration that the lives of Edo youths matter—and that the era of violence, fear, and impunity must come to an end.
Fred Itua is the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor.
