List of Illustrations

ix

Preface

xi

Acknowledgments

xix

Introduction

1

Chapter 1: "Urgent Business Relationship": Nigerian E-Mail Scams

28

Chapter 2: From Favoritism to 419: Corruption in Everyday Life

53

Chapter 3: Development Scams: Donors, Dollars, and NGO Entrepreneurs

88

Chapter 4: "Fair Play Even among Robbers": Democracy, Politics, and Corruption

112

Chapter 5: Rumors, Riots, and Diabolical Rituals

138

Chapter 6: "They Became the Criminals They Were Supposed to Fight": Crime, Corruption, and Vigilante Justice

166

Chapter 7: Anticorruption Aspirations: Biafrans and Born-again Christians

191

Conclusion

221

Appendix

233

Notes

241

References

247

Index

257