No mention of an "Azigidi" cult or sect could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Specific to the Ogboni secret society, Theweek reported, in an article about relations between cults and the Methodist Church in Nigeria, that:

Indeed, the Ogboni Fraternity, later refined to become the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, was founded by Anglican clergymen more than 70 years ago. Its supreme headship has rotated among Anglicans, Catholics, Methodists and Baptists. The relationship between Ogboni and Christianity, awkward at best, usually blows into the open at periods of transition between the burial of a departing supreme head and the installation of a new one. ...

the spirit of cultism does not appear to be waning in the older churches. On the contrary, those designated by the churches as belonging to these secret societies are becoming defiant, insisting that the clergy was not in any position to inflict penalties on them, least of all, ex-communication. In a nutshell, the battle is about to burst forth again (24 Nov. 1997a).

A representative of the Methodist Council of Nigeria was reported to have said:

During our conference last year, MCN agreed that it will no longer condone secret societies, especially among the leadership. You cannot belong to such societies and belong to Christ. That is hypocrisy. We believe that secret societies or unlawful societies are bodies or corporate bodies or otherwise which do not accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and which carry out their proceedings in secret, and operate on signs, pass words and symbols to the exclusion of the public in general. We enumerated 25 of such groups because they do not believe in Jesus. And that church officers must renounce their membership publicly (ibid. 24 Nov. 1997b).

A 26 August 1997 Post Express article contained comments from "the newly elected President of the Aborigine Ogboni Fraternity of Nigeria and Overseas" who acknowledged the organization is a "secret cult." However he

said it was not meant for evil-doing as practised in tertiary institutions in the country.

He said cultism was like a religion, adding that all professions were secret cults but the word 'secret' in cults did not mean that those involved were into perpetration of evils, stressing that the way students were now operating was different from the expected aims and objectives. ...

The Ogboni Fraternity boss, who disclosed that the body was registered in 1967 with registration number 949, said it was a reformatory organisation for the country's progress where many big-wigs in the society were members. The Ogboni president declared that the activities of cult members in tertiary institutions should not be linked with participation of their parents in various cults, adding that oath-taking during initiation did not give room for evil acts.

He disclosed that many big-wigs in Nigeria today belonged to one form of secret cult or the other. He informed newsmen that parents were not happy with students cultists and urged the government to rise up to the challenges of eradicating cultism in schools, adding that with the introduction of death sentence on any one found guilty, they would be deterred.

In a petition challenging the results of the presidential election Chief Olu Falae, presidential candidate for the All People's Party (APP), included allegations that President Obasanjo is a member of the Ogboni cult (ibid. 7 Apr. 1999; P.M. News 19 Mar. 1999; Nigeria News Network 19 Mar. 1999). In its report on the allegation, AP stated that "Obasanjo is reportedly a member of the Ogboni, one of a number of Nigerian secret societies that include some of the nation's most powerful businessmen and politicians. Nigerian election rules preclude members of secret societies from running for president" (5 Apr. 1999). Falae's petition was denied by the elections tribunal that heard it (ibid.; Post Express 7 Apr. 1999; Nigeria News Network 9 Apr. 1999).

Following the allegation against President Obasanjo, the General Secretary of the Reformed Ogboni fraternity explained in an interview with

P.M. News

that the association is a non political and non religious group therefore the issue of making any political statement or attacking anybody does not arise. Mr. Akosa said further that the ROF as a body does not engage in politics and does not encourage its members to participate in politics.

"We don't attack people, it is people that attack us," he said. The General Secretary said the association believes in peaceful co-existence among its members and praise God through worship at all times. He said that the association is not a secret society as all its activities are conducted in the open. "Whoever is interested in the way we operate here should come forward and we will tell him all the necessary things he wishes to know about the association," he emphasised (Nigeria News Network 22 Mar. 1999).

In a 18 June 1999 editorial on cults Post Express stated:

cult activities are not restricted to schools alone. They extend to the large society outside the schools, and many older generations of influential people are known to be members of these societies. Some of the historical secret cults in the society include the Ogboni among the Yorubas, Ekpe among the Efiks, Poro among the Mende and Ekine cult of eastern Delta, among others.

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.

References

Associated Press (AP). 5 April 1999. Gilbert da Costa. "Nigeria Tribunal Rejects Opposition Appeal Against Obasanjo Election." (NEXIS)

Nigeria News Network. 9 April 1999. "Beko, Falana React to Falae's Loss." http://www.nigerianews.net

_____. 22 March 1999. "Ogboni Fraternity: We Are Not Against Falae." http://www.nigerianews.net

_____. 19 March 1999. "Falae: Obasanjo is Ogboni Cult Member." http://www.nigerianews.net

P.M. News [Lagos]. 19 March 1999. Ayodele Lawal. "Nigeria; We Are Not Against Falae." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Post Express [Lagos]. 18 June 1999. Emmanuel Belonwu Nzediegwu. "Secret Cults in Our Schools." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 28 Oct. 1998]

_____. 7 April 1999. Chuks Ohuegbe. "Court Dismisses Falae's Petition." ." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 28 Oct. 1998]

_____. 26 August 1997. Ladimeji Kayode. "Ogboni Leader Wants Death Sentence on Student Cultists." www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 28 Oct. 1998]

Theweek. 24 November 1997a. Godwin Agbroko. "From the Editor." (Ethnic NewsWatch/NEXIS)

_____. 24 November 1997b. "A Matter of Consistency." (Ethnic NewsWatch/NEXIS)