Bakassi Boys

The Bakassi Boys are a group of Nigerian youth vigilantes known for their use of sorcery and dark magic, or Juju as commonly used in the Nigerian slang, to curb crime more efficiently and ultimately eliminate all forms of vices in the south-eastern region of Nigeria, which according to the vigilante group includes robberies, ritual killings, kidnaping, and ironically even the practice of dark magic itself, as can be observed in the case of the charismatic Eddy Nawgu, an alleged false prophet and occultist whom they killed and beheaded.

The Bakassi Boys are usually armed with machetes and guns and an array of black magic artifacts and Juju worn around their body. They operate in the Igbo area of Nigeria and have been accused of extrajudicial killings of suspected petty thieves, armed robbers, ritual killers, murderers, corrupt persons, and generally anyone they considered evil. The manner in which they knew or discovered if one was evil or not was by the use of dark magic in which they placed a magical silver-colored machete on the chest of any suspicious person, and if the machete's color changed from silver to blood red it meant the person had committed a heinous crime at some point in their life, and invariably such a person would be killed immediately.

In the south-eastern part of Nigeria, especially Anambra State, they still enjoy popular support in the areas where they operate because the vices in the region have been greatly reduced since the inception of the vigilante group in 1998. According to publications by various Nigerian media houses, their greatest metaphysical power was their ability to be immune to gunshot wounds; even when shot multiple times at close range, they wouldn't flinch nor sustain any injuries. This metaphysical power was referred to as Odeshi amongst the Igbo people of Nigeria. Odeshi is an Igbo word that means "It does not leak" or "it would not leak", which meant if anyone shot them with a gun it wouldn't pierce their skins hence their blood would not leak.

The Bakassi Boys have since 2004 rebranded as Anambra Vigilante Services (AVS), Imo Vigilante Services (IVS) and Abia Vigilante Services (AVS) and have had their activities reduced significantly.

History

These groups likely took their name from the Bakassi peninsula, an oil-rich peninsula in the Annang-Efik-Ibibio region of the coastal south-eastern Nigeria, over which disputes had hastened hostilities between Nigeria and Cameroon, with both countries contending for ownership of the region and its resources. The Boys emerged as a vigilante group simultaneous with sharp increases in the crime rate of Abia State.

They originally enjoyed the support of the governor, Orji Uzor Kalu. He sensed the effectiveness of the group in combating the crimes in Aba and environs. However, as the crime rate was going down in Aba, other eastern Igbo cities were not so lucky, and the crime rate in places like Onitsha was still rising. The Boys then were invited to other major cities, like Onitsha and Owerri, to rid them of criminals.

In time, law enforcement agencies became regarded as ineffectual symbols and the Bakassi endeared themselves to many Igbo traders and merchants. However, political opponents of some governors accused the group of extrajudicial killings and accused governors of using the Boys as weapons of intimidation. As a result of heightened opposition, the group has attempted to rebrand itself Anambra State Vigilante Services.

In media

A film titled Issakaba, an anagram for Bakassi, was produced in the year 2000 by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, and it depicted the origin of the vigilante group and their encounter with Eddy Nawgu.

See also

• Oodua Peoples Congress
• Amotekun

References

• Osita Agbu, Ethnic Militias and the Threat to Democracy in Post-Transition Nigeria, Nordic African Institute, 2004
• BBC, Gang Rule in Nigeria
• Gamji.com, The Truth About the Bakassi Boys
• Human Rights Watch, The Bakassi Boys: The Legitimization of Murder and Torture
• Harry Nwana,Who are Bakassi Boys, Vanguard, December 28, 2000