Background information on the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as the Pyrates Confraternity, can be found in NGA29332.E of 20 May 1998 and NGA29842.E of 10 August 1998. For general information on societal and government reaction to cult activities, please see NGA33079.E of 8 November 1999.

The following is a brief chronology of NAS activities at Nigerian universities since June 1997:

On 18 June 1997 two students at Polytechnic Ibadan were "feared dead" and several were injured as a result of a fight between members of the NAS ("Pyrates") and the Eiye cult/fraternity groups (Post Express Wired 24 June 1997).

On 6 March 1998 twenty-one students were denied the right to graduate by the university authorities at the Federal College of Education in Abeokuta, because of their alleged involvement in two cult/fraternity groups, the Eiye and the NAS ("Pyrate") groups (Post Express Wired 13 Mar. 1998).

On 13 April 1999 three students were killed at the University of Calabar in a fight between members of two cult/fraternity groups, the Buccaneers and NAS ("Pyrate Confraternity") (Post Express Wired 15 Apr. 1999).

On 10 July 1999 eight students were killed at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, allegedly by members of cults operating at the university (The News 19 July 1999). One of the suspects in the killings told The News that the killings were carried out in order to remove obstacles to the operations at the university of a cult known as "the Neo-Black Movement (Black Axe)" (ibid.). The suspect added that the Neo-Black Movement was allied with two other secret cults, the Eiye Confraternity and the NAS ("Sea Dogs"), and that this alliance was in effect at three other universities, in addition to OAU: University of Lagos (UNILAG), University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Ibadan Polytechnic (ibid.). Following the OAU killings, the head of the NAS, Ben Oguntuase, on 13 July 1999 addressed an "open letter to Nigerian students on banditry" in which he strongly condemned the involvement of fraternities in university violence, adding that the purpose of fraternities is to help their members meet challenges and to help less fortunate members of society (ibid.). In addition, NAS founder Wole Soyinka, a graduate of OAU, condemned the killings and promised to help the victims' families (Post Express Wired 24 July 1999; The News 31 Aug. 1999).

On 1 August 1999 the Nigerian press reported that a former head of the NAS, Rev. Anselem Madubuko of the Revival Assembly Church in Lagos, had urged Nigerians to pray for the elimination of cultism from Nigerian universities (Post Express Wired 1 Aug. 1999). Badubuko, who was head of the NAS from 1978 to 1982 said that

There is nothing good about these groups these days. When we were in school, it was not like this. There was no killing. There was no shooting. We only got together as a group of friends and enjoyed ourselves. It was fun. But now they are into mysticism, they are into occultism (ibid.).

On 21 July 1999 the Lagos periodical Tempo published an interview with NAS head Ben Oguntuase. Discussing the problem of violence at Nigerian universities, Oguntuase said that university confraternities should be registered, that a special university police force should be established, and that the authorities should provide armed security on university campuses (ibid.). Oguntuase added that the NAS did not operate on university campuses (ibid.).

Despite Oguntase's denial that the NAS operated at universities, the NAS was on a list of 36 groups identified by the Nigerian government as cults operating at educational institutions (Post Express Wired 15 Aug. 1999). The list had been supplied to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Kevin Mbu Ogon Etta, who announced in August 1999 that any university staff member who was a member of a campus cult and who did not renounce membership within two weeks would be dismissed (ibid.).

On 21 August the NAS held its 23rd annual gathering ("converge") at the Gateway Hotel in Abeokuta (The News 31 Aug. 1999). The converge was attended by NAS founder Wole Soyinka, as well as academics from the University of Lagos and Lagos State University (ibid.). The theme of the converge was "Fraternity and Nation-Building," with a focus on violence at Nigerian universities (ibid.). NAS head Ben Oguntuase presented a paper in which he discussed university violence, arguing that "campus associations of today are not cults or fraternities, but gangs" (ibid.). A University of Lagos psychologist who was present at the converge stated that campus violence was due in part to inadequate facilities at the universities as well as to a dramatic increase in university admissions (ibid.). Soyinka called for all Nigerian universities to be closed for at least a year while efforts are made to solve the problem of violence (ibid.).

Nigerian media reports indicate that the NAS leadership has made public statements on political life in general in Nigeria, in addition to their statements on the problem of violence in universities.

In November 1998 the membership of the NAS, meeting in Calabar, issued a communiqué in which they criticized Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, claiming that his leadership was "held hostage by the surviving agents" of former Head of State Sani Abacha (The News 7 Dec. 1998). In addition, the NAS criticized the government's Oil and Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) for showing inadequate concern for the welfare of residents of oil producing areas; the NAS also criticized the head of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) for remaining in office despite his previously announced intention to step down by 1 October 1998; and the confraternity expressed opposition to the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) rule that a political party must receive 5 per cent of the votes in 24 states in order to be registered, characterizing the rule as undemocratic (ibid.). The NAS added that "the Ogoni have a right to form a political party based purely on environmental issues" (ibid.).

On 9 February 1999 the Nigerian press reported that the head of the NAS, Ben Oguntuase, had requested of Nigeria's Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, to grant a posthumous pardon to the executed Ogoni activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa (Post Express Wired 9 Feb. 1999).

In October 1999 the NAS issued a statement in which the organization criticized Nigeria's president, Olusegun Obasanjo, for failing to investigate the activities of former president Ibrahim Babangida; in particular, the allegations of Babangida's involvement in the death of journalist Dele Giwa (The News 15 Nov.1999).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

The News [Lagos]. 15 November 1999. Bamidele Adebayo. "What of IBB?" (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 31 August 1999. Kelechi Obasi. "Guns for Roses." (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 19 July 1999. Bamidele Adebayo. "Campus of Deaths." (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 7 December 1998. "Act Over Yap." http://www.africanews.org/west/nigeria/stories/19981207_feat2.html [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

Post Express Wired [Lagos]. 15 August 1999. Jude Okwe. "Five UNICAL Students Renounce Cultism." http://www.postexpresswired.com/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

_____. 1 August 1999. Leonard Nzenwa Jnr. "Cleric Urges Nigerians to Pray Against Cultism." http://www.postexpresswired.com/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

_____. 24 July 1999. Emmanuel Edom. "Soyinka Condemns OAU Killings, Promises Victims' Families Relief Packages." http://www.postexpresswired.com/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

_____. 15 April 1999. Jude Okwe. "Cult Clash Claims Three Lives in UNICAL." http://www.postexpresswired.com/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

_____. 9 February 1999. "Association Seeks Post-Humous Pardon for Saro-Wiwa." http://www.postexpresswired.com/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

_____. 13 March 1998. Dimeji Kayode. "College Withholds Certificates of 21 Students Over Cults." http://www.postexpresswired.com/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

_____. 24 June 1997. Dele Ogunyemi. "Ibadan Poly Hunts Cults Members." http://www.postexpresswired.com/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 1999]

Tempo [Lagos]. 21 July 1999. Wilson Uwujaren, Joke Hassan. "Interview: 'The Game Is Up." (Africa News Service 21 July 1999/NEXIS)