July 7: What’s 7/7 and why is the day associated with violence?
July 7 or 7/7, as many would like to call it, is one of the days of the year with a unique date, but in more than two decades, the day has been associated with violence in many parts of Nigeria.
For many citizens, it may just be another day of they year, but for members of the Aiye Cult Group also known as Black Axe, the day is generally acknowledged to celebrate the group’s annual ‘founder’s day’. But if it is all about celebration, we wouldn’t be writing this explainer. 77 has gained notoriety as a day members of rival cult groups in different parts of Nigeria choose to ‘settle scores’ with attacks and killings of rival members.
Here’s all you need to know about 77 and why it is linked to violence
Although details about the origin of the 77 celebration are sketchy, it is believed to be in celebration of the day the Black Axe cult group was founded by nine students of the University of Benin.
The Black Axe Confraternity, one of Nigeria’s most notorious and infamous cult groups with a long history of violence dating back more than three decades, was founded on July 7, 1977, on UNIBEN campus as Neo-Black Movement of Africa, a social organisation with the aim to combat oppression and promote justice and equality among Nigerian students.
A report by BBC ranked Black Axe as one of the world’s most notorious organised crime groups. The group has been indicted in various illegal activities, including cult clashes, armed robbery, drug trafficking, internet fraud and political thuggery. These actions have resulted in significant social unrest, loss of lives, and a general sense of fear within Nigerian communities.
Over the years, members of the cult group have chosen July 7 as a special day to initiate new members and there are also multiple reports of violent attacks credited to the group, especially on July 7.
On July 7, 2021, six people were attacked in Delta state while Black Axe members were celebrating their founder’s day. In 2021, the Lagos and Osun Police Command in separate statements warned members of the group against celebrating the day and causing mayhem across the state.
“The Police Command, based on available and processed intelligence at its disposal, has deemed it necessary to warn the group to desist from any celebration to commemorate today 7/7/2021 and put measures in place to fortify the state against any unlawful gathering, procession, lawlessness and possible breakdown of law and order in Lagos State,” a statement by the Lagos Police Command in 2021 read.
However, while members of the group were preparing for the 2023 celebration, the NBM leadership in a statement on July 6, 2023, dissociated itself from the celebration, warning its members to be cautious and keep their distance from any assembly of such people claiming to be NBM members.
“The Leadership of the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM), a Pan-African Group, has distanced itself from any July 7 (77) celebration, falsely claimed in some quarters to be the group’s founding day anniversary” , read the statement by its National Public Relations Officer, Oluwatosin Dixon which was posted on NBM’s verified Twitter handle.
Some of the areas with history of violence on 7/7 include Ikorodu and Somolu in Lagos, UNIBEN, some parts of Delta state and Port-Harcourt in Rivers state.
On Thursday, July 6, 2023, three people were reportedly killed in a bloody rival cult war in Shomolu-Bariga area of Lagos State. The violence has been linked to cult members preparing for the 7/7 celebration.
On July 7, 2016, eleven people were reportedly killed in Sagamu, Ogun State in an attack by suspected cult members celebrating the 7/7.
