Black Axe is a notorious crime syndicate that originated as a student fraternity in Nigeria in the 1970s.
Since then, it has evolved into a violent and secretive mafia that operates across the world, with links to human trafficking, internet fraud, and murder.
A BBC investigation has revealed new evidence of its infiltration of politics, its global scamming operation, and its brutal methods of intimidation and torture.
The Origins of Black Axe
Black Axe was founded in 1977 at the University of Benin, in southern Nigeria, by a group of students who wanted to challenge the dominance of another fraternity, the Pyrates.
They adopted the name “Neo-Black Movement of Africa” (NBM) and claimed to have a political and cultural agenda of promoting African unity and values.
They also adopted a distinctive symbol: an axe crossed by two bones, representing their readiness to fight and die for their cause.
However, over time, Black Axe deviated from its original ideals and became involved in violent clashes with rival fraternities, such as the Eiye (also known as the National Association of Air Lords) and the Buccaneers.
These clashes often resulted in deaths, injuries, and destruction of property on campuses and beyond.
Black Axe also developed a reputation for extortion, rape, robbery, and cultism – a term used in Nigeria to describe the activities of secret societies that engage in criminal acts.
Membership in Black Axe is illegal in Nigeria, but the group has managed to evade prosecution and expand its influence by recruiting influential members from various sectors of society, such as politics, business, entertainment, media, and law enforcement.
According to leaked documents obtained by the BBC, Black Axe has also penetrated the Nigerian political system, especially in its home region of Edo State, where it has allegedly received funds and patronage from politicians in exchange for electoral support and violence.
The global reach of Black Axe
Black Axe is not only active in Nigeria but also in many other countries around the world, where it has established chapters or “zones” that operate independently but maintain communication and coordination with the headquarters or “national body” in Nigeria.
According to the BBC’s sources and documents, Black Axe has zoned in at least 26 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.
One of the main activities of Black Axe abroad is internet fraud, also known as “yahoo yahoo” or “419” in Nigeria.
This involves using fake identities and stories to deceive unsuspecting victims online and persuade them to send money or personal information.
Some of the common scams include romance scams, inheritance scams, lottery scams, and business scams.
According to operations by international law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI’s Operation Wire Wire in 2018 and Operation Rewired in 2019, Black Axe’s scamming profits may run into billions of dollars.
The BBC’s investigation has uncovered emails that suggest that a prominent Nigerian businessman and 2019 APC party candidate for political office, Augustus Bemigho, was a senior member of Black Axe and was involved in orchestrating fraudulent internet scams netting millions of dollars.
The cache of documents contained more than 18,000 pages from an email account linked to Mr. Bemigho, including emails that suggest he sent guidance on scamming to a network of collaborators on 62 occasions and communicated with others about specific scamming targets.
“We have removed him close to 1M dollar,” says one email sent to Mr. Bemigho, referring to a victim.
The email contains the victim’s full name, email address and number, and instructions on how to progress the scam.
The BBC used Mr. Bemigho’s emails to track down two apparent scamming victims, who said they were defrauded of approximately $3.3m (£2.4m).
The BBC contacted Mr. Bemigho, but he did not respond to the allegations.
The violence of Black Axe
Black Axe is also known for its extreme violence against anyone who opposes or betrays them.
This includes rival gangs, law enforcement agents, journalists, whistleblowers, and former members who defect or expose their secrets.
The group uses various methods of intimidation and torture, such as shooting, stabbing, beheading, burning, and mutilation.
Images of these atrocities often circulate on Nigerian social media as a warning to others.
The BBC spoke to several former members of Black Axe who admitted to taking part in killings and other acts of violence during their years as “Axemen”.
One of them was Dr. John Stone (not his real name), who teaches political science at the University of Benin.
He said he joined Black Axe in 1986 as a student and rose to become a senior member who was known as “a butcher” for his brutality.
He said he was involved in more than 20 killings, including the assassination of a journalist who was investigating Black Axe in 1999.
Dr. Stone said he regretted his past and decided to leave Black Axe in 2009 after he witnessed the murder of a fellow member who had refused to take part in a scam.
He said he now wanted to expose the gang and warn others not to join.
“Black Axe is evil.
It is a curse.
It is a cancer that is eating deep into society,” he said.
However, leaving Black Axe is not easy, as members swear an oath of secrecy and loyalty that binds them for life.
Anyone who breaks the oath faces the risk of death or harm to their family.
The BBC’s investigation began with a death threat – a hand-written letter, delivered to a BBC journalist in 2018, who had been digging into the illegal opioid trade in Nigeria and had met a number of Black Axe members face to face.
Later, a second letter was handed to the man’s family.
Someone had been tracking him and had found his home.
The challenge of Black Axe
Black Axe poses a serious challenge to the security and stability of Nigeria and other countries where it operates.
The group has been able to evade justice and accountability by using its network of connections, corruption, and fear.
The Nigerian government has outlawed Black Axe and other cults but has not been able to effectively enforce the law or prosecute their members.
The Nigerian police have also been accused of being complicit or colluding with Black Axe in some cases.
The international community has also been slow to recognize and respond to the threat of the Black Axe.
The group is not listed as a terrorist organization or a transnational criminal organization by any major country or body, despite its involvement in crimes that affect millions of people around the world.
The lack of awareness and coordination among law enforcement agencies, as well as the difficulty of tracing and recovering the proceeds of crime, have hampered the efforts to combat Black Axe.
The BBC’s investigation aims to shed light on the dark and secretive world of Black Axe and to expose its activities, structures, and leaders.
It also hopes to give voice to the victims and survivors of Black Axe and to inspire more people to speak out against the gang and its crimes.
Black Axe is not invincible, but it will take courage, commitment, and collaboration to stop it.