Anambra Govt Says Vigilante Group, Not Bakassi Boys Drafted To Stop Cultists’ Clashes

The Anambra State government, Wednesday, said the state vigilante group and not the outlawed Bakassi Boys, are behind efforts to stop criminalities in the state, especially the activities of cultists.

A statement by the state commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Mr C-Don Adinuba, claimed the originator of the news was an amateur video photographer.

According to him, “The section of the media that reported the purported return of the so-called Bakassi Boys, which is not backed by any law in the state, would have known better if only they had contacted any official of the Anambra State government.

“The journalists would have availed themselves of the right information if they had bothered to speak to any official of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) or any official of the Awka Youth Movement.

“What the journalists confused with Bakassi Boys’ return to the state is a noble effort of some Awka indigenes to fish out cultists in the community who have attempted to capitalize on the inadequate number of policemen on patrol in the town in the last few months to fight themselves with dangerous weapons.

“The fights among cultists resulted in some casualties. Awka youth, appalled by the sad development in their peaceful hometown, decided to fish out the cultists from their residences and hideouts. An unidentified young amateur video photographer recorded one of the operations and can be heard in the video exuberantly screaming ‘Bakassi! Bakassi Boys are back in Awka!’

“Any person who watches the video to the end will certainly see two vans which belong to the Anambra Vigilante Group right in the scene. No fair-minded person can mistake the AVG for the unorthodox security outfit which was outlawed several years ago.

“Whereas Bakassi Boys used to arrest suspects, tried them within minutes and executed them in broad daylight in a most savage manner, the AVG is a modern security outfit created by law. It neither tries nor sentences suspects.”

THE WHISTLER reports that Anambra State has witnessed cases of insecurity of late, resulting in losses of human lives and destruction of public facilities.

News made round this week that Bakassi Boys had returned to checkmate insecurity in the state. The security outfit was first engaged by the administration of Chief Chinwoke Mbadinuju between 1999 and 2003.

They mainly used machetes to kill criminals after using their charms to confirm their culpability.

The ‘invincible’ Bakassi Boys, during their era in Anambra, were dreaded. They killed notables like Prophet Edwin Okeke aka Eddy na Nawgu, an acclaimed sorcerer and occultist. They were however disbanded following their alleged involvement in matters aside crimes.

Wikipedia reports that Bakassi Boys are usually armed with machetes and guns and an array of black magic artifacts and juju worn around their body…The manner in which they knew or discovered if one was evil or not was by the use of dark magic in which they placed a magical silver-coloured machete on the chest of any suspicious person, and if the machete’s colour changed from silver to blood, it meant the person had committed a heinous crime… Such person would invariably be killed.

According to refworl.org, Bakassi Boys were created in 1998 by traders in Aba who wanted to protect themselves from armed robbers. They are officially called the Imo Vigilante Services (IVS), the Abia Vigilante Services and the Anambra Vigilante Services in the three states in which they are most active, according to an article published by Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa, on 14th February, 2006.