One reference to the Osokpikan cult was found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate (The News 18 Oct. 1999). An article by Bamidele Adebayo published in The News, a Lagos weekly newspaper, details the activities of the Osokpikan cult found in the Alausa suburb of Lagos (ibid.). The author provides the following report on the activities of the Osokpikan (the name reportedly means people who care for others) in the vicinity of the 7 Rainbow Hotel:

If you think this is your everyday kind of brothel and prostitutes, check this out. On that fateful Friday, at 11:30 p.m., three young ladies clad in red enter the brothel. They speak in Bini with the bar attendant, then they take their seats. Later scores of people of both sexes and ages arrive and join them. They are all Bini people. Some came in posh cars, while some simply trekked to the brothel. Later, a man identified as the chief priest arrived clad in ... regalia that distinguished him from the others. They cluster around him. His name was given as Johnson Odia and it was gathered that he is the proprietor of the brothel. Immediately on his arrival, the singing and dancing began. In the wee hours of the night, they advanced to the main road and killed fowls and puppies as sacrifices to their gods. They also chanted incantations. Very early the next morning ... the crowd estimated at about 300 dispersed.

This is the experience [that] residents of Odewale Street go through every weekend when men and women of different ages and from all walks of life, always clad in red, gather at the brothel. To set themselves apart, officers of the sect usually tie white linen across the waist. At about 12 midnight, the services start. The chief priest carries a specially-carved stick called Ase. On his arrival, there is always a kind of babel. In a discussion the chief priest told The News that Ase is used for conjuring the spirits. As part of their rituals, they offer sacrifices and display charms. A chalk-like substance is also one of their objects of worship. They use it to make illegible marks on the ground. After that, another round of dancing, wining and dining takes over. At about 4 a.m., the congregation disperses. One thing that is outstanding about this sect is that they don't harass or intimidate passersby.

But not a few residents of the neighbourhood are uncomfortable with the weird things they claim the sect members engage in ... Valentine, a chemical engineer and native of Edo State, who lives in the adjoining street believes that the Osokpikan society is a secret cult. He likened its activities to that of [the] Asegidi or Igbe cults in Benin City. According to him, the members of the society are mainly from Benin and the prostitutes in the brothel are members. Frank, a stylist who resides on the street, thinks the chief priest makes charms for the prostitutes so they [can] obtain Italian visas to pursue their international prostitution career[s]. The chief priest who also goes by the alias, Ifa, told The News that his group is just like any society in the churches and the mosques. He explained that members of the society are polytheists (ibid.).

In addition, the author reports that Osokpikan cult members do not believe in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS); they believe instead that one's intestines are attached by worms and that the illness can be cured by a herbal vermifuge (ibid.).

Additional information on the Osokpikan, including the consequences of refusing to join and relations with authorities could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Regarding the Ashigidi "society," only one reference was found among the sources consulted (Mume n.d.). In a book by a "Chief Tradomedical Consultant" entitled The Confession of the Wizard of Igbinse; The Devil's Arsenal, the author credits the Ashigidi Society for bringing under control the use of Etagba, "a herbal concoction used to cast evil spells on an enemy" (ibid.). The article from The News quoted above refers to an "Asegidi" cult in Benin City that is reportedly similar to the Osokpikan (18 Oct. 1999), but no further information regarding this cult could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

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. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Mume, J.O. n.d. Part 2. "Etagba." The Confession of the Wizard of Igbinse; The Devil's Arsenal. http://user.intersatx.net/eliot/confessions.doc [Accessed 12 Nov. 2002]

The News [Lagos]. 18 October 1999. Bamidele Adebayo. "Nigeria; A Cult for Prostitutes." (Africa News/NEXIS)

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