Image Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52488922
Originated around 1980 in the Edo city of Benin as a Nigerian student confraternity, Black Axe has evolved as an atrocious international global mafia. With time, it went on to spread its wings across Asia, Africa, the US, and other major countries. It received severe backlashes for myriad heinous crimes encompassing the Obafemi Awolowo University massacre.
The nefarious past of Black Axe is stained with the intricate history of oppression, violence, scams, mascara, human trafficking, internal fraud, drug smuggling and beyond. With its roots spread all over the globe, this outlawed organization possesses myriad legal faces that penetrate the politics, society and the lives of the common people of Nigeria.
Intriguingly, the Black Axe has witnessed both loyalty and rebellion in its members. Its members pledge their allegiance to Korofo, an unseen deity and as per their ideology, they commit to fighting against colonial oppression. People of all facets contribute to this cult that derails and scams people’s lives with intricately planned frauds, generating billions in the process. The organization seems nothing short of a horrifying nightmare that promises security and fraternity in the name of violence and cultist values.
Although people like Dr Stone and other anonymous benefactors have come out speaking against this Global Mafia, things are still on a curve for the political and social scenario of the country.
Dr John Stone a former senior Axeman turned into a political science teacher at the University of Benin sinks in the mire of guilt and shame while recalling begging for mercy before succumbing to the awful fate unearthed by the Black axe. He is one of dozen Black Axe sources who are now being vocal by criticizing the mafia for breaking their oaths of silence.
BBC undeniably has played a pivotal role by investing in Black Axe by forming BBC Africa Eye. By building a resourceful network of whistle-blowers, it has been able to uncover secret documents that speak volumes of the past crimes committed by this powerful crime cult.
The documents revealed that the “Internet fraud” continues to be the primary revenue source for the gang. The gamut of internet fraud comprises inheritance scams, romance scams, real estate, and business email scams. Axemen communicates with the help of secret forums and password-protected websites. Nevertheless, Ironically, these scams are not conducted on a small scale with just a laptop by one single individual. These scams harness the power of collaboration and are well-organized comprising a network of dozen skilled individuals spanned across continents.
Global expansion of Black Axe has been meticulously constructed designating local “heads” and dividing geographic areas into “different zones,” where the Zonal heads assume the responsibilities of collecting “membership fees”. The collected money is then sent back to the leaders in Benin, the heartland of Black Axe.
Scott Augenbaum, a cyber-security expert and former FBI special agent commented, “Cybercrime is a multi-trillion dollar industry, it’s out of control,”. So far he has dealt with a large number of Black Axe victims while investigating fraud cases akin to those discovered in the leaked documents. He further commented,“I’ve seen lives destroyed, companies go out of business, life savings lost,”, “It affects everyone.”
In Benin, male university undergraduates aged between 16 and 23 are primary recruits of Black Axe primary recruits. Moreover, the initiation process named “Bamming” is infamously brutal that takes place secretly. A few recruits are forced while others are volunteered. “Secrecy, brotherhood and discipline” are the fulcrum on which the Black Cult thrives.
According to Dr Stone, myriad reasons have led to the spread of the Black cult. Out of them, the biggest reason is the unemployment that prevails in Nigeria. In such a scenario, joining Black Cult unlocks the door to security and limitless business connections.
A student fraternity named the NBM “Neo Black Movement of Africa” was formed to fight oppression and the movement drew its inspiration from the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. Leaders of NBM deny any association with the Black Axe by highlighting their commitment to zero crime tolerance. However, in reality, the NBM has been facing accusations of being the legal cover for Black Axe. The documents accessed by BBC reveal links between a few members of NBM Corporation and Black Axe members. Black Axe has indeed come to evolve as a protective blanket for many entities.
In the controversial words of Mr Kabaka, “If government wants to seek for election they need them,” and “Cultism still exists because government is involved, and that is the truth.”
Dr Stone is pinning his hopes on “Rainbow Coalition”, an advocacy group that he formed by including former cultists, professors and influential Nigerian citizens. This advocacy group aims to steer Black Axe towards a positive peaceful future while de-escalating tensions when rival gangs clash. In his words, the formation of this group aims,“To reduce the rate of death among youths. To reduce the rate of widows and orphans.”
Chukwuka Omessah, Rainbow’s co-founder aims to compel Black Axe members to reflect on the kind of society they are creating. He says, “Everyone has a conscience. You may deny it on camera, deny it during public, but you cannot deny it in your quiet time – it will haunt you.”
Currently, Black Axe is indulged in a battle of supremacy within Nigeria with rival cults like the Buccaneers, the Eiye, the Pirates, and the Maphites.
Dr Stone is well aware of the consequences of initiating a candid war against the Black Axe. He knows that his former comrades might unexpectedly confront him one day and he is ready to face fate. With a half-smile, he says, “if they come after me, can’t I also come after them?”
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