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Frank Brefo Politics of Africa James Wunsch 11/20/16

The Bakassi Boys: fighting crime in Nigeria Summary

The breakdown of state institution has prompted citizens in many part of Nigeria to resort to self-help by creating vigilante groups and armed militias. The Bakassi Boys are a prime example, they were formed in Aba, a metropolis in south-east Nigeria. Policing in Nigeria at the time was poor, the majority of criminals were known by name and were known where they were to be found; al that was lacking was the resolve to take joint action against them. So the idea of outside law enforcement was not argued, the group also received financial support from Orji Kalu, whose victory in the 1999 election made him the governor of the Abia State. Although he governor sided with the group, there was much resentment on the side of the police. But because of poor policing, robbers paraded through the streets and openly displayed their weapons, in most cases the police would run away whenever and wherever they sighted them. Thanks to the Bakassi Boys, the city is scarcely recognizable today, and it is generally viewed that crime is largely a thing of the past. As a form of deterrence, the Bakassi boys would simply throw bound victims to the ground and chop away at them for minutes on end with their blunt machetes, finished off by tossing a car tire on top of them and dousing them in petrol. No regret was shown towards their victims; the Boys may have executed around 3,000 citizens in Anambra within a year and a half. However, Police were no

less brutal than their rival, so no one took it seriously when police officers spoke out against ‘jungle justice.’ The author, Johannes Harnischfeger, outlines why a group of professional killers should receive so much support: overall skepticism as to whether Western ideas about human rights are suitable for an African environment, armed militias could not have established themselves against the army and police without the backing of high-ranking Igbo politicians, and the lack of faith in the ability of the state to contain violence. Another decisive reason for the success of the Bakassi Boys, is that they have given the impression of not being corrupt, so ordinary citizens do not challenge their ruthless power. The Bakasi Boys can arrest and execute any category of person whom the police dare to touch (witches and sorcerers) because they are equipped with the magical and religious mean to detain such opponents....