Abia State Vigilante Group / Bakassi Boys (Nigeria)
Basic Group Information
Name assigned by coder: |
no
|
PGM ID Number: |
410
|
Country: |
Nigeria |
Date formed: |
July 1, 1999 |
Accuracy of date formed: |
year
|
Details of Formation: |
The Bakassi Boys vigilante group initially emerged as a spontaneous popular initiative to protect property rights and fill the gap in state security provision. It was captured by politics in 2000 and after some violent incidents, the Bakassi Boys were introduced as the states' security outfit Abia State Vigilanta Group aka Bakassi Boys. |
Date dissolved: |
Aug. 4, 2002 |
Accuracy of date dissolved: |
day
|
Details of Termination: |
The attempt to ban the group in 2000 by the President was opposed and immediately withdrawn. It was only in August 2002 that the federal government passed a bill that outlawed Bakassi. Bakassi vigilantes were arrested and their bases closed down in police raids carried out in early August 2002. |
Termination Type(s): |
government defects
|
Former and Successor Group Information
Government Relation, Support, and Training
Group Characteristics
Ethnic Characteristics
Ethnic Target(s): |
none
|
Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: |
not applicable
|
Ethnic Membership: |
none
|
Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: |
not applicable
|
Ethnic Purpose: |
none
|
Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: |
not applicable
|
Other Information
Other Information: |
When militia gained official status in 2000, the name of the Bakassi Boys was changed to Abia State Vigilante Service. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
Purpose: |
Initially, the government aligned with the militia to combat crime in the Southeastern coastal region of the country and to protect market traders. Governors have also used the militia to intimidate political opposition. (Raleigh 2016, 289; Wikipedia) |
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use |
local support
|
Treatment of Civilians
Treatment of Civilians: |
The militia functioned as a law enforcement agent. While their purpose was to curtail crime, militiamen detained civilians illegally and tortured them. These actions were accepted and encouraged by the Nigerian government that legally recognized the militia as an official organization. They received logistical support to carry out their tasks by the state governments of Abia and Anambra. (Amnesty 2002) |
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: |
kidnapping/abductions; killing; torture
|
Reasons for Membership
PGM Members Coerced? |
no information |
PGM Members Paid? |
no information |
Reasons for Membership: |
No information |
PGM Members Killed? |
no information |
PGM Size
Weapons and Training
Weapons and Training: |
Militiamen were armed with machetes and guns. (Wikipedia) |
Organisation
Organisation: |
No information. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Amnesty International. 2002. “Vigilante violence in the south and south-east”. AI Index: AFR 44/021/2002.
Raleigh, Clionadh. 2016. "Pragmatic and promiscuous: explaining the rise of competitive political militias across Africa". Journal of Conflict Resolution 60(2): 283-310.
Wikipedia. “Bakassi Boys”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakassi_Boys.
Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD.
Evidence