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This Present Darkness: A History of Nigerian Organized Crime
Nigeria and Nigerians have acquired a notorious reputation for involvement in drug-trafficking, fraud, cyber-crime and other types of serious crime. Successful Nigerian criminal networks have a global reach, interacting with their Italian, Latin American and Russian counterparts. Yet in 1944, a British colonial official wrote that 'the number of persistent and professional criminals is not great' in Nigeria and that 'crime as a career has so far made little appeal to the young Nigerian'.
This book traces the origins of Nigerian organised crime to the last years of colonial rule, when nationalist politicians acquired power at a regional level. In need of funds for campaigning, they offered government contracts to foreign businesses in return for kickbacks, in a pattern that recurs to this day. Political corruption encouraged a wider disrespect for the law that spread throughout Nigerian society. When the country's oil boom came to an end in the early 1980s, young Nigerian college graduates headed abroad, eager to make money by any means. Nigerian crime went global at the very moment new criminal markets were emerging all over the world.
This book traces the origins of Nigerian organised crime to the last years of colonial rule, when nationalist politicians acquired power at a regional level. In need of funds for campaigning, they offered government contracts to foreign businesses in return for kickbacks, in a pattern that recurs to this day. Political corruption encouraged a wider disrespect for the law that spread throughout Nigerian society. When the country's oil boom came to an end in the early 1980s, young Nigerian college graduates headed abroad, eager to make money by any means. Nigerian crime went global at the very moment new criminal markets were emerging all over the world.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 30, 2017
At once both interesting and frustrating.
The late Prof. Ellis' interest in Nigeria is both expansive and informed by a seemingly inexhaustible curiosity, both of which keep this book afloat through dry patches and occasional bouts of what seems like ex tempore analysis. Even so, even the weakest of Ellis' speculative links are more informed than those of many other commentators.
The title is a bit misleading. This isn't a history, in any formal or organised sense (which, oddly, isn't as bad as it sounds); rather, it is a extraordinarily detailed and informed data dump. Themes emerge: the corroding influence of Nigeria's colonial regime, the links between the spiritual and the temporal worlds, the influence of ethnic allegiance on the true nature of nationhood (or absence of therein). The footnotes point the reader in the direction of primary sources.. There are many, very many.
The book has the faults of an academic text - i.e. a general resistance to easy readability - but at the same time lacks the cohesive thesis that academia usually demands. Many tangential threads - such as the history of the Nigerian military in Nigerian political life, and thus Nigerian corruption - aren't followed through exhaustively (although, to be fair, the footnotes do hint at directions for further reading). This can lead to an occasional sense of incompleteness. For instance, the author references the brief Muritala Muhammad administration as being (in the eyes of the Nigerian population) a paragon of virtue, but only as an aside references his role in the attempted crossing of the Niger in '68 (I think) - which ought to have had him cashiered from the army at the very least, and is very revealing about the Nigerian capacity for wilful forgetfulness.
But other links help explicate, in interesting details, the expansion of Nigerian corruption from the domestic to the international sphere, and contextualises the over-representation of different ethnic groups in different forms of transnational crime..
There are lots of mistakes that slipped through the editorial process. The word 'kleptocracy' dates almost a century before the author's claim of its Nigerian roots; the Leventis family were Greek Cypriots, and their company incorporated in Nigeria - their trading company was not British. And so on..They never (seriously) affect the author's flow, but are an unnecessary distraction.
His book is not for the general reader, or even someone with a fleeting curiosity in Nigerian crime - it is firmly embedded in its time and place, and thus expects a reasonable grounding in Nigerian history. But, and it must be said, many Nigerians lack this too. That said we should, I suppose put preconceptions aside to read this interesting book.
The late Prof. Ellis' interest in Nigeria is both expansive and informed by a seemingly inexhaustible curiosity, both of which keep this book afloat through dry patches and occasional bouts of what seems like ex tempore analysis. Even so, even the weakest of Ellis' speculative links are more informed than those of many other commentators.
The title is a bit misleading. This isn't a history, in any formal or organised sense (which, oddly, isn't as bad as it sounds); rather, it is a extraordinarily detailed and informed data dump. Themes emerge: the corroding influence of Nigeria's colonial regime, the links between the spiritual and the temporal worlds, the influence of ethnic allegiance on the true nature of nationhood (or absence of therein). The footnotes point the reader in the direction of primary sources.. There are many, very many.
The book has the faults of an academic text - i.e. a general resistance to easy readability - but at the same time lacks the cohesive thesis that academia usually demands. Many tangential threads - such as the history of the Nigerian military in Nigerian political life, and thus Nigerian corruption - aren't followed through exhaustively (although, to be fair, the footnotes do hint at directions for further reading). This can lead to an occasional sense of incompleteness. For instance, the author references the brief Muritala Muhammad administration as being (in the eyes of the Nigerian population) a paragon of virtue, but only as an aside references his role in the attempted crossing of the Niger in '68 (I think) - which ought to have had him cashiered from the army at the very least, and is very revealing about the Nigerian capacity for wilful forgetfulness.
But other links help explicate, in interesting details, the expansion of Nigerian corruption from the domestic to the international sphere, and contextualises the over-representation of different ethnic groups in different forms of transnational crime..
There are lots of mistakes that slipped through the editorial process. The word 'kleptocracy' dates almost a century before the author's claim of its Nigerian roots; the Leventis family were Greek Cypriots, and their company incorporated in Nigeria - their trading company was not British. And so on..They never (seriously) affect the author's flow, but are an unnecessary distraction.
His book is not for the general reader, or even someone with a fleeting curiosity in Nigerian crime - it is firmly embedded in its time and place, and thus expects a reasonable grounding in Nigerian history. But, and it must be said, many Nigerians lack this too. That said we should, I suppose put preconceptions aside to read this interesting book.
August 7, 2018
Posthumous publication (and bearing some signs of it — repetitions and incomplete conclusions) of the great historian of African crime, Stephen Ellis. Ellis argues that the origins of Nigeria’s centrality to organized crimes lies not only in the overwhelming number of Nigerians, but also in the specific history of the country, above all the endemic corruption at the highest levels of government, and the legacy of the Biafra civil war. The excellence of the book comes from the way that Ellis demonstrates that the various criminal enterprises and syndicates — from 419 frauds, to oil smuggling, to bribery, to sex trafficking, to drug smuggling — are all interconnected with one another at the levels of technical skills, criminal ethos, and (transnational) human networks. These connections also overthrow any easy labels about development; on the one hand, these are highly innovative, globally networked organizations (Ellis emphasizes that opportunism is central to the business models); on the other hand they are rooted in ethnic kin systems, and often rely on things like juju, oracular dicta, and other”traditional” forms of magic to retain control over people within the system.
March 5, 2017
Disturbing, depressing, well-written account of origins and depth of crime and corruption in Nigeria. Difficult to know how to crawl out of such a deep hole. Buhari was committed to trying, but not certain he still has the energy or support to do so. Silver lining is nothing lasts forever. Nigeria is certainly not alone - Buhari's RSA counterpart is doing his best to make up for lost time.
June 19, 2025
I was genuinely saddened to learn that the author has passed away. But he left behind a remarkable legacy—This Present Darkness is a monumental work that will be referenced for years to come. The book offers a sweeping historical account of organized crime in Nigeria, tracing its roots from the pre-independence era all the way to its modern forms. It is an astonishingly rich book, packed with information that is, at times, mind-boggling. Even as a Nigerian, I found myself shaking my head repeatedly.
I used to be deeply offended by the humiliating treatment young Nigerians often face at international airports—full of indignation and disbelief. But after reading this book, I now understand where that perception comes from. The damage to our national image did not arise overnight; it was carefully layered over decades by the actions of powerful people and institutions.
What’s perhaps most painful is how deeply entrenched this culture of corruption is—particularly within Nigeria’s leadership. The implication is clear: unless the leadership changes—truly changes—little else will. Reform at the top is the only meaningful path to healing what has become a generational wound.
I used to be deeply offended by the humiliating treatment young Nigerians often face at international airports—full of indignation and disbelief. But after reading this book, I now understand where that perception comes from. The damage to our national image did not arise overnight; it was carefully layered over decades by the actions of powerful people and institutions.
What’s perhaps most painful is how deeply entrenched this culture of corruption is—particularly within Nigeria’s leadership. The implication is clear: unless the leadership changes—truly changes—little else will. Reform at the top is the only meaningful path to healing what has become a generational wound.
August 27, 2025
I did not very much like this book. It has lots of interesting information about Nigerian history and crime in Nigeria, but feels more like a data or information dump than an actual well worked out and coherent academic history.
The analysis in some parts is also not critical, sometimes the author relies on, and uncritically quote the opinions of others as facts. There are also lazy acceptance of stereotypes about groups or individuals in Nigeria that I feel were not interrogated critically. And oh yes, there are a lot repetitions and repetitions.
To be fair to the author, this work was not completed by him, so I can see why the work at the end looks the way it did.
The only positive one can glean from this book is that history did not start today and many of the crimes we think are evidence of decadence of the current generation have been going on for longer than we think, and most times, the past crime patterns persist
The analysis in some parts is also not critical, sometimes the author relies on, and uncritically quote the opinions of others as facts. There are also lazy acceptance of stereotypes about groups or individuals in Nigeria that I feel were not interrogated critically. And oh yes, there are a lot repetitions and repetitions.
To be fair to the author, this work was not completed by him, so I can see why the work at the end looks the way it did.
The only positive one can glean from this book is that history did not start today and many of the crimes we think are evidence of decadence of the current generation have been going on for longer than we think, and most times, the past crime patterns persist
Read
June 21, 2020Intriguing, Depressing, frustrating and a well written piece.
As a Nigerian, i now understand better why some foreign nationals may be reluctant to have anything to do with Nigeria when it comes to business. However, my joy is that there are millions of Nigerians who are good people and despite the failure of governance, they are doing well in legitimate ways.
In this book, you have 200+ pages of crime and criminal related activities. This is a good read which documents how things went wrong with Nigeria and how an average Nigerian may be lured to committing crime. The story of Professor Crentsil was one i read growing up and i was old enough to follow the Okija saga. This is a well-researched work.
Recommended.
As a Nigerian, i now understand better why some foreign nationals may be reluctant to have anything to do with Nigeria when it comes to business. However, my joy is that there are millions of Nigerians who are good people and despite the failure of governance, they are doing well in legitimate ways.
In this book, you have 200+ pages of crime and criminal related activities. This is a good read which documents how things went wrong with Nigeria and how an average Nigerian may be lured to committing crime. The story of Professor Crentsil was one i read growing up and i was old enough to follow the Okija saga. This is a well-researched work.
Recommended.
November 30, 2020
Brilliant - an indepth look at the origins, nature and scope of Nigerian criminality amongst individuals, the armed forces and police, the diaspora, cults and the deep state corruption that has penetrated into every aspect of Nigerian life. Ellis examines Nigerian colonial and pre-colonial society in search of an explanation for the extraordinary levels of criminality as well as a detailed look at the various civilian and military regimes since independence. The statistics about the sheer percentage of Nigerian nationals living abroad involved in crime is eye watering and the scale of criminal human trafficking and sex slavery in countries like Italy tragic.
November 30, 2018
I am honoured to have known Prof Steven Ellis as a media world colleague and as an academic mentor and friend in the field of African political economy and history from 1990 until his death in 2016. Reading this book on a recent trip to Nigeria was most apt. It is excellent: well researched, cogently argued and with a treasure trove of deep insights. Highly recommended. Your understanding of modern Nigeria will be greatly enhanced through reading this short but brilliant book.
Read
March 30, 2025Ignore the pulpy picture (and the back half of the title), this is a brief but remarkably informative history of modern Nigeria as viewed through the lens of public and private corruption. I'd come across the phenomena of shrine cults in some of Wole Soyinka'a more recent work, but had no idea the degree to which it seems endemic to Nigerian society.
June 25, 2021
This was a page turner. Had to force myself not to gawk at some of the accounts in this book. Using words from other reviewers this book made me depressed, frustrated, shocking, interested, etc. There really is nothing new under the sun. Well written, it really is a good read.
July 2, 2016
This has to be the best book I've read all year. It's historical, cultural, religious, economic... sigh... just brilliant. Nuanced, academic and respectful of local cultures. Really, I'm picking my jaw up off the ground for both how well it's written and how exhaustive the content is.
June 16, 2020
Very apt, detailed and well researched
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews