A female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Jennifer Elohor Edema, who was assaulted by armed vigilante operatives in Anambra State, has narrated her ordeal and called for justice.
On 19 August, a video surfaced on social media showing men of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group beating and stripping corps members at their lodge in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area.
The footage, filmed on 23 July, captured Elohor being assaulted while crying for help.
The vigilante men, carrying guns, had stormed the building and accused the corps members of engaging in internet fraud.
Despite presenting their NYSC identification cards, the corps members were assaulted, with Elohor facing the brunt of the attack.
In an interview with internet personality Aprokoking, Elohor recounted the incident in detail.
“My co-corpers and I were in our lodge charging our phones and minding our business. We heard a knock on the door. At first, we thought it was our neighbour’s door being knocked on, because it was a three-storey building with a lot of flats,” she said.
“We ignored it the first time until we heard it again. This time, it was way more aggressive. I decided to go and check who was on the other end. Before I got there, the door was kicked in. If I had taken a step further, the door would have hit me.
“I saw a masked man with a gun. He wasn’t wearing any form of uniform. No form of identification. At first, I was afraid that it was an armed robber until I heard him say, ‘all of you, outside’. I summoned a little courage to ask why.”
Elohor said the operatives ransacked their rooms, seized their phones and laptops, and accused them of being “yahoo boys”.
“They asked me why I was challenging them as a woman. That was when they started beating me, asking what gave me the right to question them. They said they would smash our phones if we called anyone. They beat me, tore my clothes. One of my colleagues was pleading on my behalf, but they hit her with an iron rod.
“They slapped me, called me a prostitute. They threatened to shoot me and toss my corpse in the bush. They picked nine of us, all corpers,” she said tearfully.
The incident had sparked outrage nationwide, with many Nigerians demanding justice for the corps member.
The NYSC, in a statement, confirmed the incident and condemned the actions of the vigilantes.
“Our findings revealed that a group of operatives of the Anambra state vigilante group forcefully entered a corps lodge in Oba, alleging that the place was being used for illegal activities, which has not been substantiated,” the statement read.
“The operatives demanded that every occupant of the lodge should submit themselves for a search, while Corps Member Edema Elohor Jennifer, AN/24C/0626, who was on a visit to the lodge, was assaulted. As a aftermath, the matter has been reported to the police while investigations and other necessary actions are ongoing.
“Management wishes to restate its strong commitment to the welfare and security of its Corps Members nationwide, and would not condone any individual or group of persons that undermines the security of its Corps Members for whatsoever reasons.”
Ken Emeakayi, Special Adviser on Community Security to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, described the assault as “unfortunate and unacceptable”, confirming that the perpetrators were operatives of the Agunechemba security outfit.
Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga also confirmed their arrest. “The operatives have been arrested,” he told journalists, but noted that “the unavailability of the victim has temporarily stalled the investigation.”
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has also waded into the matter, calling for the prosecution of the vigilantes.
“The incident, which left her beaten and her clothing torn off, is nothing short of degrading, inhumane, and a direct violation of her dignity and fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the NBA said in a statement signed by its President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara.
“Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, to serve as both redress for Ms. Elobor and deterrence against similar abuses in the future.”
The association commended the Anambra State Government for swiftly identifying and arresting the culprits but stressed that “accountability must not stop at arrest.”
Meanwhile, Elohor insists that her assailants must face the law. “I want justice. I want those people punished in the best way possible,” she declared.
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