In the 1970s, nine Nigerian students founded a fraternity called the 'Neo-Black Movement of Africa' (NBM). The logo depicted an axe smashing the shackles of colonialism and the members saw themselves as the vanguard in the fight against racism and oppression, both in Nigeria and worldwide. Today, the NBM has a self-reported membership of around 30,000 and is active on almost every continent.
However, in recent years, police officers and prosecutors in various countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and Italy, have investigated NBM members. They have been accused of a wide range of criminal activities, including fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. In Nigeria, the NBM has repeatedly been associated with the 'Black Axe', a banned gang responsible for violence and murder.
Are these just 'a few bad apples', as the current NBM leadership claims? Or has the former freedom movement lost its way, turning into an organised crime group with an international reach? Investigative reporters Margherita Bettoni and David Klaubert investigated the network. They interviewed law enforcement officials and analysed thousands of pages of court files. They obtained internal NBM documents. They also talked to crime victims, as well as members of the movement and its leadership. Their story provides a rare insight into a complex organisation spanning continents.
Margherita Bettoni and David Klaubert were assisted by a third journalist, who wants to remain anonymous for security reasons.
Image: A black axe breaking the chains of a slave: the official logo of the Neo-Black Movement of Africa - © Archiv
