Bakassi Boys

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The Bakassi Boys are a loose group of semi-illiterate youths known for their anti-crime vigilantism, they are usually armed with machete, guns, and charms. They operate in southeastern Nigeria, and are widely accused of illegal activity and human rights abuses and denounced by many as hoodlums.

The group likely took its name from the Bakassi peninsula, an oil rich region which had hastened hostilities between Nigeria and Cameroon, with both countries contending for ownership of the region. The group emerged as a vigilante group as a result of sharp increases in the crime rate of Abia State. The boys originally enjoined the support of the governor, Orji Kalu, who sensed the effectiveness of the group in combating merciless crimes in Aba and environs. However, as the crime rate was going down in Aba, other eastern Igbo cities were not so lucky, 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 the cities of criminals. In due time, the law enforcement agencies became regarded as ineffectual symbols of law and the Bakassi endured themselves to many Igbo traders and merchants. However, political opponents of some governors accused the group of extra judicial killings, and some governors of using the boys as weapons of intimidation. As a result of heightened opposition, the group changed its name to the Anambra State Vigilante Services.