Cults Funded By Politicians Biggest Security Challenge In South-East, Says Odinkalu

Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has identified the sponsorship of cult groups by politicians as one of the major security challenges confronting the South-East region.

Odinkalu, who spoke on Thursday, said the menace of politically sponsored cultism has become deeply entrenched in the region, fueling violence, kidnappings, and general insecurity.

According to him, many of the armed groups operating in the South-East are not driven by ideology but by political patronage, as they are often empowered by politicians during elections and later become uncontrollable.

He lamented that the region’s insecurity has been wrongly attributed solely to separatist agitation, while the real issue of political violence and cult activities remains largely ignored.

Odinkalu called for a coordinated regional response that includes community leaders, law enforcement agencies, and civil society groups to dismantle the networks of political violence and restore peace.

He further urged politicians in the region to stop funding or protecting cult gangs for electoral purposes, stressing that the long-term consequences of such actions threaten the safety and stability of the South-East.