Initiation of young children into secret cults is fast becoming the order of the day in Bamenda within primary and secondary schools.
Such children who are being initiated fall mostly between the early ages of 1- 25 years. Some are initiated through small food items, others through small gifts and jewelries as well as through peers and elders.
A case in point is a Lower Sixth student of St Paul College Nkwen, whose name we are withholding who said she was initiated in Form Four and had been in the secret cult for three years.

While recounting her ordeal, she said it started at a time when she used to fall ill even during her exams. At night she used to eat and drink blood in her dreams, after which some people came and took her to very long distances where she saw very strange faces dressed in black and had extraordinary long hairs.

She testified that she did horrible things unknowingly. She further added that, she had the spirit of a dog and was barking exactly like a dog and any body she bites with her teeth will be initiated. At times she was given a knife to kill a child which she refused, saying she has never killed before.
Terrified by these incidents, her aunt who noticed her strange behaviour took her to a pastor and there was a serious spiritual fight between the pastor and members of her cult and she was the only one who saw it. All attempts to deliver her at this stage failed as she was given some hairs, crowns, rings and was made a queen and later got married to a boy in the cult kingdom.

"After consistent prayers with the pastor, I was advised to keep praying but it was unfortunate that my faith was not strong enough, because one night two men came and raped me and I got up the following morning with waist pain. They also asked me to offer my brother as sacrifice which I refused to. I then rushed to the pastor who fortified me with the words of Psalm 29 and consistent prayers which I have leaned on and have been freed from bondage," she remarked.

She, however, cautioned other youths to avoid excessive drinking and indecent dressing which are attractive forces of cultism. She equally urged youths to take their dreams seriously  for that may by one of the ways to detect whether they are being initiated or not.