Pro-Government Militias
Anambra State Vigilante Group / Onitsha Vigilante Group / Bakassi Boys (Nigeria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 106 |
| Country: | Nigeria |
| Date formed: | Aug. 4, 2000 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | Law no.9 – Anambra State Vigilante Services Law, 2000, published in the Anambra State Official Gazette, Awka, August 4, 2000 installed the ASV as an official vigilante service. Before, the Bakassi Boys were only active as mercenaries but had no clear pro-governmental attitude. |
| Date dissolved: | Sept. 24, 2002 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | After a short ban in 2000 by federal government which was overturned immediately, the AVS was declared illegal by federal government in September 2002. |
| Termination Type(s): | government defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | Abia State Vigilante Group / Bakassi Boys |
| Successor group(s): | Anambra State Vigilante Service (AVS) aka Scorpion Squad |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | yes |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 588 |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | no information | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution); sub-national government |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; plunder and loot; crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Eastern Nigeria, Kaduna, esp. Onitsha |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | criminals; unarmed political opposition, government critics |
| Purpose(s): | self-defense and security; anti crime |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Igbo |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | In July 2000, the Federal Government tried to terminate the group and their activities, but on the state level group (e.g. governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju) still supported against the directions of the federal government. By September 2000, the Federal Government withdrew the order to end the activities of particular ethnic vigilante groups. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The state government used the militia as law-enforcement agents. They were supposed to detain alleged criminals and to reduce crime rates in Anambra state. While the police force is held accountable to the federal government, the militia is accountable to the government of Anambra and was also used politically by the Anambra administration. (Human Rights Watch 2002, 3) |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | local support |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Militiamen targeted alleged criminals and used extreme violence against civilians. Nonetheless, the militia received much support from politicians and the population because they were able to reduce crime (Human Rights Watch 2002, 2). |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | kidnapping/abductions; killing; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | No information. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | No information. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | One source reports that the PGM received training from Mbadinuju’s Anambra government. The militiamen carried machetes and heavy arms. (Amnesty 2002b, 9) |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The militia gained official legal status and became a state vigilante group in 2000. Before, it was a community-based militia. The PGM consists of a security board with the chairperson of the group and a police superintendent. In addition, the Chairperson of the Security Committee at the state House of Assembly, a lawyer, the chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders of the state, and other community representatives make up the organization. The Anambra government sponsored the group financially, provided vehicles and an office (Amnesty 2002b, 9; Human Rights Watch 2002, 12) |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.