"THE NIGERIAN MAFIA...........?"

The recent happenings in Castelvolturno (massacre of 7 Africans) by people suspected to be members of the CAMORRA (the Naples mafia) has seen fingers being pointed to the CASALESSI family. In this havoc there are many things that people in the Nigerian community in Italy may be worrying about.

The first report that hit the press was of the killing of 6 Nigerians by the mafia because of non payment of drug royalties. The killings had every indication that would make anyone point to an organized group like the Camorra; hundreds of bullets form automatic Kalashnikovs by 6 people on 'fake' police jackets and cars……….

Later in the day the news came out clearer and the identities of those killed were known; 4 Ghanaians, a Togolese, and a Liberian. There was no Nigerian involved. The poor Africans were all working in their textile and tailoring shop where they sew and mend cloths for Italians and foreigners.

The story changed and some press reports had it that since they were non Nigerians it would have been a mistake by the commando that carried out the operation, insinuating that the Napoli mafia (Camorra) was really annoyed with the Nigerian mafia which has an alliance with them but in the recent past started to disobey and have their own (Nigerian) bosses thereby stopping to pay royalties from drug proceeds. It was also reported that the Nigerian group that had signed pacts of alliance many years ago with the main mafia for the indirect control of drugs, prostitution, illegal labor, illegal immigration etc were gathering too much powers ;therefore should be thought a lesson or re-dimensioned. http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/settembre/19/Camorra_strage_extracomunitari_co_8_080919002.shtml

http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/settembre/19/Roberti_Una_pulizia_etnica__co_8_080919003.shtml

The police still insist that those killed were involved in drug movement in the area (they are Africans after all) notwithstanding that no drug was found in their workshop or in their residences.

The Nigerian mafia had their first clash with the Italian mafia 22 years ago (1986) when 6 Nigerians were 'kneecapped' . There was apparent peace and cooperation with the two mafias until the night between 23^rd and 24^th April 1990 when the camorra organized a commando that hit a group of their Nigerian allies in bar Centro di Pescopagano- leaving two deed and many who were not even connected with drugs wounded. In the month of January this yare 3 persons were charged with the death of those Nigerians.

These are just little bits of the 'Black mafia' which has in the past 17 years gained a lot of powers and is peculiar for the its tribal based set-up and the sort of impunity it has amongst other organized criminal groups.

According to the report it is hard to believe that among the numerous drug pushers none of the Nigerians has ever collaborated with the justice to reveal what happens within the group and they have continued to propel their activities from Italy to all over Europe growing from the sells of heroine to the control and wholesale of the cocaine and the control of prostitution.

The recycling of the black mafia money is through money transfer and other complicated connections that are difficult for the Italian central bank or the European Central Bank (ECB) to discover and dismantle. The report claims that the Nigerian Mafia in this form has shown a great competitiveness that makes it the 5^th Mafia in Italy.

http://www.positanonews.it/dettaglio.php?id=16812

Some question I would ask members of the community who read all the press reports , analysis and tv reports on Nigeria and her nationals in Italy:

· Are we all prostitutes, mafians, and drug pushers?

· What is the population of Nigerians in Italy and what is the percentage involved in these vices?

· Who speaks or will speak for the community and defend her and the Nation for all the exaggerations and accusations that has been going on these days in the press?

· what is our mission (embassy) doing to see that the numerous Nigerians that are resident in Italy and are highly law abiding do not face unnecessary harassments and molests from Italians and the serotypes of the Italian law enforcement agencies? many African ambassadors went or sent their representatives to Castel Volturno some days ago; did anyone from the Nigerian mission travel to that area to ascertain the security of law Abiding Nigerians living in that region?

There are more questions to be asked and to be answered on this issue Do you have any?

Okey. Chukwubike C