Black Axe mafia: Italian police arrest 30 Nigerian 'cultists,' 100 charges loom

Italian police carry out raids across di kontri arrest 30 pipo dem suspect to be members of di Nigerian Black Axe mafia syndicate.

Police say dem dey face about 100 charges wey include drug and people trafficking, prostitution and internet fraud.

Di gang allegedly use di Bitcoin cryptocurrency to carry out clandestine financial transactions on di dark web.

Black Axe emerge from Nigeria in di 1970s, wia dem carry out rape, mutilation, and ritual murders.

Dem later move on to build a powerful international network.

E get evidence say di members get one direct connection wit di Nigerian gang, drawing on di same vocabulary, symbols and affiliation rituals," Italian police tok.

Dem accuse those wey dem arrest of using Bitcoin on di dark web to buy di details of cloned credit cards, wey dem dey use do plenti online shopping.

Di arrest happun for 14 provinces across di kontri plus di Black Axe alleged leader for Italy - one 35-year-old man wey live for L'Aquila, for di central Abruzzo region, Reuters news agency report am.

"Dis one prove di ability of di judiciary and police forces to fight against old and new mafia groups wey dey try to extend dia criminal reach and expand dia business," Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese tok for one statement.

Who be di Black Axe?

Dem be one of di most notorious secret societies to ever come out of Nigeria.

Di Black Axe surfaced in di 1970s and dem be originally known as di Neo Black Movement. Diq founders say di aim of di group na to "liberate" di black race.

But for universities, di group no longer dey follow any political ideology. Instead, Black Axe members don chop accuse of plenti killings and sexual attacks.Other Nigerian secret societies, also referred to as confraternities and campus cults, get names like Vikings, Eiye (a word in the local Yoruba language for bird), and di Buccaneers.

Dem get a chain of command wey dey similar to militia groups, use code words and get insignia bearing di favourite weapon of di cult, along wit di colour.

Dem dey promise dia members protection from rival gangs, but na mostly about power and popularity.

Nigeria don ban dis secret societies, and hundreds of members don gbab arrest and serve punishment over di years.

Nevertheless, dem continue to dey operate for di kontri, especially on university campuses, wia dem still dey attract new members.