The Police in Anambra state have warned parents to look out for seven signs which they described as tell-tale signs that their wards were getting involved in cultism.
The Spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Haruna Mohammed, in a press release made available to newsmen, identified seven early signs that show a young person was taking to cultism.
They include: late night, love for music, love for specific colours, difficulty in exposing the body, isolation, anger and smoking, and making new friends.
Mohammed said, “Early detection of a child’s engagement in cultism can help stop the full involvement of that child in the evil act and also save the life of the child from impending dangers that lies ahead.
“Bad friends contribute a lot to joining cultism. Try to know the friends your child goes out with most times, find out their details and find out where they hang out. Doing this will help you to be sure your child is not in the company of friends that are cultist because sooner or later the child may join them in their evil acts.
“If your son or daughter is the jovial type that loves keeping company but suddenly starts keeping to him or herself watch out. This is very common among some cultists as they love to be alone.
“You can do a check on the type of music your child has gotten newly and loves listening to over and over again. Some of these songs are fraternity songs containing their chants and anthems.”
Haruna added that, “Some parents are not aware that their children smoke under their roofs even in their private rooms. Check your children’s rooms when they are not around and do it into detail, checking every corner in the room. You can also check the fingers or lips of the child to see any strange darkening. If your child gets angry at the slightest provocation that is not usual with the child, it can be a sign.
“Take note of your child if he or she has suddenly fallen in love with a particular color. For example, the child can wear a color for a week or can’t do without the color in any form of dressing. This can be a danger signal you need to look into.
“Cultists don’t like to expose their body especially the back because they have some wounds they don’t like to expose to people around them. Watch if your child suddenly finds it hard to undress in your presence or goes to the bathroom with clothes on and come out of the bathroom.”