This Present Darkness: A History of Nigerian Organised Crime. By Stephen Ellis.

“FANTASTICALLY corrupt” said David Cameron, Britain’s prime minister, talking about Nigeria with the Queen on May 10th. Their conversation, at a party, two days before an international summit on graft, has sparked a fuss. A spokesman for Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, retorted he was “shocked”, though Mr Buhari later agreed with Mr Cameron’s assessment, adding that Nigeria wanted back stolen assets held in British banks.

Mr Buhari was elected last year to fight corruption. For decades Nigeria has suffered a doubly dubious reputation: recognised as a kleptocracy and notorious for its armies of imaginative criminals, formed into organisations with international reach. The two groups work in tandem: dodgy officials enable the crooks’ shady business; rich criminals often enter politics. In 1995 Colin Powell, a retired American general, said that Nigerians were “scammers” who “tend not to be honest”.


This state of affairs is ably documented and explained by Stephen Ellis—a British expert on African affairs, who died last year—in an excellent history of Nigerian organised crime, “This Present Darkness”. He sees four main areas where gangsters flourish. The biggest crooks of all are the “oil- management mafia”, who divert at least 10% of oil production for private gain. One estimate, in 2013, suggested that was worth $6.7 billion a year. Others are much higher. The central-bank governor said in 2013 that $1 billion in revenues were lost each month from Nigeria’s state oil company (though since then the oil price has collapsed). Ellis suggests dubious oil trading in Switzerland might enable the diversions.

Better-known frauds internationally, though smaller business, are “419” advanced-fee scams (named for a code in Nigerian law), that continue to dupe large numbers of victims. Private colleges in Lagos offer courses in credit-card and advanced-fee fraud, says Ellis. Gangs such as the “Yahoo Boys” send e-mails from Nigeria, but Nigerians abroad are most effective. Ellis describes 150 fraudsters (90% of them Nigerian) found in the Netherlands in 2008 after duping victims of over €150m ($171.2m). Extrovert Nigerians excel at this crime, says Ellis (a victim himself), because they are “top class” at creating trust.

Two other activities both involve smuggling. Southern Igbos dominate trade in hard drugs, proving adept at creating networks of buyers and sellers in the diaspora. Ellis describes “barons” who contract middle-ranking “strikers”, who run small-fry couriers. They proved successful in North America. Meanwhile people from Edo state mostly control trafficking of sex workers, notably to Europe. One diplomat told the author that 30,000 Nigerian women, mostly from Edo, are prostitutes in Italy. Most are bound by large debts, spiritual ceremonies and intense social pressure.

Ellis’s great contribution is in explaining why Nigerian crime became so ubiquitous. When the oil price fell in the 1980s, educated Nigerians flocked abroad (at least 15m are overseas), forming networks in which crime thrives. Strong student and secret societies bind people together. Importantly, he says, Nigerians show unusual agility in business and have strong social skills. Add a weak, corrupt state and organising crime appears all too easy.

Source: http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21698631-why-it-became-so-ubiquitous-no-fantasy?fsrc=scn/fb/te/pe/ed/nofantasy

Everybody is taking a swipe at Nigeria since the days of the due.llard of daura yet zombies say Gej messed up Nigeria image.

I don't remember us getting this manner of bashing at the international scene during the last administration

This thread, to what end? To prove the original owner isn't currently fanning himself with a funeral pamphlet in one underground self-contain?

crestedaguiyi:
Everybody is taking a swipe at Nigeria since the days of the due.llard of daura yet zombies say Gej messed up Nigeria image.

I don't remember us getting this manner of bashing at the international scene during the last administration

And where did you arrive at that? Don't tell me from the article above. You saw a thread jumped on it like a d'banj on kekere remix without digesting the content.


People like you, to them any thread which carries a negative remark as the subject must always have a story taunting the image of the President and you have to jump at it to make mockery of your lack of adequate comprehension ability.

Shame on you I say. The writer just insulted you and I. He didn't even remotely refer to the President but your people, my people with a faulty generalization smack of contempt and total fallacies. You came right here jubilating. Tah!

cramjones i need beer

cramjones:


[b] ~¶This In 1995 Colin Powell, a retired American general, said that Nigerians were “scammers” who “tend not to be honest”.

¶ Private colleges in Lagos offer courses in credit-card and advanced-fee fraud [Imagine this rubbish, why didn't she name the colleges] , says Ellis.
¶


Two other activities both involve smuggling.

~ ¶Southern Igbos dominate trade in hard drugs, proving adept at creating networks of buyers and sellers in the diaspora. Ellis describes “barons” who contract middle-ranking “strikers”, who run small-fry couriers. They proved successful in North America.

~ ¶Meanwhile people from Edo state mostly control trafficking of sex workers, notably to Europe. One diplomat told the author that 30,000 Nigerian women, mostly from Edo, are prostitutes in Italy. Most are bound by large debts, spiritual ceremonies and intense social pressure.

~ ¶ Ellis’s great contribution is in explaining why Nigerian crime became so ubiquitous. When the oil price fell in the 1980s, educated Nigerians flocked abroad (at least 15m are overseas), forming networks in which crime thrives. Strong student and secret societies bind people together. Importantly, he says, Nigerians show unusual agility in business and have strong social skills. Add a weak, corrupt state and organising crime appears all too easy.
[/b]

Just imagine these faulty generalization and fallacies the Hell-y was brandishing as facts. The writer ought to be taken for a week vacation in Sambisa forest.

Brutally truthful shot.

This thread is worthless and irrelivant.

crestedaguiyi:
Everybody is taking a swipe at Nigeria since the days of the due.llard of daura yet zombies say Gej messed up Nigeria image.

I don't remember us getting this manner of bashing at the international scene during the last administration

The fact that these things are being talked about points to the fact that we have a leader the world sees as being capable of confronting those vices listed.

Agimor:
This thread is worthless and irrelivant.

It isn't. People who deny problems get consumed by those problems most times. The reason the Yorubas have a name for prostitution (Ashewo) and prostitutes(Olosho) but is undoubtly the tribe least involved in it. Other tribes who deny it n claim they av no name for it are neck deep in it.

T

driver o wa ooooo!!!!;

All Thanks To Buhari.


If buhari had asked cameron to apologize, all diz western medias would have known their boundaries by now.

Self-dignity and honour is better than $100bn and am sure that all the cumulative stolen funds in uk banks are not even up to $10bn.





When one rascal pikin for community beat pikin unecessarily, and d pikin fada warn d rascal pikin and him family never to try am again - with him family.

The rascal pikin go know him boundary when he see d man family!!

WOW

Agimor:
This thread is worthless and irrelivant.

seconded

There is no way I will read this trashThere is no way I will read this trashThere is no way I will read this trash

We know

cant believe this is happening

can't believe I wasted my time to read this post, so vague and irrelevant, talk about probs without pointing at a way forward, that's something a gossip will do, a self righteous hypocrite . Nigeria has got it probs, but which country is perfect?

not d writer's fault, even our own president confined were are criminals and corrupt. rubbish!

Why do you people insist on rehashing the nonsense that the Economist publishes?

Nigeria will be better. If you believe it hit like!

APC is the worst thing that has happened to Nigeria... Buhari can't even caution Cameron instead he said he doesn't need an apology... Keep destroying Nigeria

GetUmad:



Just imagine these faulty generalization and fallacies the Hell-y was brandishing as facts. The writer ought to be taken for a week vacation in Sambisa forest.

Everything he wrote is fantastically true.
That's whether you agree or not.

crestedaguiyi:
Everybody is taking a swipe at Nigeria since the days of the due.llard of daura yet zombies say Gej messed up Nigeria image.

I don't remember us getting this manner of bashing at the international scene during the last administration

Nigerian sprung into Limelight in the early 80s.. so stop making it seem as if it is new - COSMOS MADUKA, Arthur Nzeribe, MKO Abiola, Umaru Dikko, Shitta-Bey.. dem plenty... these are figures we worship today

Should be an interesting read.

Nairaland is scanty lately
This hunger is real

What do you mean ?

crestedaguiyi:


Geturfathermad,

You know is stupidity is getting worst by the day. So tell me in simple terns, is the the writer hailing Nigeria.

Did I even in anyway say the article is about the dullardofdaura.

Shame on you, ur progenitors and forbearers.

I was praying and hoping you won't do this ..........you didn't make any sense if you don't have anyshit to say shut the Bleep up.....you guys sound foolish to me all y'all insulting the president like he said you didn't read the article ...if you did you wouldn't talk shit.....Muhammadu Buhari is the president of the federal republic of Nigeria if you can't deal with it carry kerosene go burn Atlantic ocean...THANK YOU

Pls, for once make use you dont blame the president... some fools blaming him as the cause of this article, bigots even the writer died last year maybe even before buhari is the president.... endure for 4 years nt anoda 16 years ....... sufffering and smiling.. will end in september 2018 ... i promise you guys