Nigeria’s Black Axe, an organised crime group on the rise

When Stephan Fuchs talks about Black Axe, his desk quickly becomes cluttered with dozens of notes, arrows and diagrams. The co-director of Victra’sa Swiss non-governmental organization that fights against human trafficking, says that these complex internal machinations are precisely what makes the group so successful. “Authorities can recognize Nigerian networks,” he explains, “but for a long time no one understood the group dynamics and mechanisms behind them.”

Fuchs has been advising law enforcement agencies on groups like Black Axe for years, explaining how they spread. In Europe, the general public is largely unaware of such groups, even though criminal organizations Such numbers have increased in recent years.

“They are involved in international drug trafficking, money laundering, internet fraud, human trafficking and sometimes protection rackets,” says Fuchs. “In Libya, there was even arms trafficking.”

A professional network for criminals

Prosecutors have recently been focusing on the Black Axe group. Between April and July of this year, the global network of law enforcement agencies Interpol carried out Operation Jackal III, targeting West African organized crime groups. The anti-financial crime operation saw 300 individuals arrested, 720 bank accounts frozen and more than 400 suspects identified around the world. Law enforcement from 21 countries were involved.

“The results of this operation underscore the urgent need for international law enforcement cooperation to combat these extensive criminal networks,” said Isaac Oginni, Director of Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre.

When tracing Black Axe’s criminal activities, two types of crime stand out: internet and financial fraud. Uche Tobias is one of those who have been warning about the organization’s global spread for years. During his investigation, the private investigator came across chat forums where criminals ridiculed their victims. Many of these victims were women who had been deceived into believing they were in a romantic relationship before paying large sums of money to their scammers.

The more Tobias dug into the organization, the more he discovered a terrifying criminal underworld. “This secret society is like LinkedIn for criminals,” he says. “The members know exactly where to find person X, who can provide fake IDs, or person Y, who offers stolen credit cards.”

This loose network, with no hierarchical structure, is what makes Black Axe so successful. The anti-fraud researcher received a number of death threats when he first published his findings — and so chose “Uche Tobias” as a pseudonym.

Brotherhood, cult or criminal organization?

Black Axe is not the only Nigerian criminal group that has been growing for years, Stephan Fuchs explains. “The Supreme Eiye Confraternity, the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, the Green Circuit Association International, the Eternal Fraternal Order of the Legion Consortium — those are probably the best known in Europe.”

Prosecutors often disagree on how to define such groups. While some call them secret societies or simply criminal networks, others prefer the terms “brotherhood” or “cult.”

“All labels fit,” says Fuchs.

This makes prosecution all the more difficult, as it means that not all group members are involved in criminal activities. Many such secret societies emerged in the 1950s and 1960s during the Nigerian independence movement, when many young underground activists formed student groups to fight against colonial rule.

But amid political unrest, criminals infiltrated these groups and began recruiting youth from the streets who were prone to violence.

Death threats to school leavers

John Omoruan was a member of Black Axe for many years. Despite the dangers he faced, he decided to speak out about the inner workings of the group. He says that in the 1980s, the group began to slide into organized crime: “That’s when they discovered they could smuggle marijuana into Europe.”

Criminals began infiltrating Black Axe because it provided the ideal structure for their operations. Meanwhile, fearsome rituals instilled in new members unquestioning loyalty and absolute secrecy. Omoruan says the groups later became increasingly ruthless, spreading through communities around the world. But he doesn’t believe their original organizing principles have changed much.

Fuchs believes Interpol’s recent operation shows that law enforcement is getting better at understanding the structures and systems at work in Black Axe. But he cautioned against resting on those laurels. When it comes to combating these groups, he said it’s important to see them for what they are: organized crime.

SOURCE: German news service