Assault on corps member: Soludo sacks vigilante operatives

…NBA demands culprits’ prosecution

…Culprits threatened to rape, kill her — Lawyer

…Dafinone condemns assault

By Efe Onodjae

Awka—Anambra State government has dismissed eight operatives of the Agunechemba Security outfit in the state over the assault on a female National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member, Jennifer Elobor, serving in the state.

This came as the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, condemned the assault on Elobor, demanding the prosecution of those involved in what it described as an “inhumane” act.

Meanwhile, Cyrus Onu, lawyer to Elobor, has said the culprits had threatened to rape and kill her for speaking out during the assault.

Recall that on Monday, a video of armed security operatives under the umbrella of the Operation Udo Ga-Achi, also known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, assaulting the corps member went viral.

Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, who spoke in Awka, yesterday, said the state had also covered the victim’s medical bills, replaced her damaged valuables and tendered a public apology to her family and the NYSC.

According to Emeakayi, the operatives, who claimed they were in pursuit of suspected cultists, acted outside their mandate and would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

“The Soludo administration will not tolerate any form of unprofessionalism, brutality or abuse of office by security operatives. Any officer found guilty of misconduct will face immediate dismissal and prosecution,” he said, stressing that the case would mark a turning point in reforming community security operations in the state.

When contacted for confirmation on whether the dismissed operatives had been transferred to police custody, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, did not respond to calls or messages sent to him.

NBA demands culprits’ prosecution

NBA in a statement by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and National Secretary, Mobolaji Ojibara, frowned on the action, calling it a “direct violation of her dignity and fundamental human rights” and a “barbaric treatment.”

It said: “The NBA commends the Anambra State government for its swift action in identifying and arresting the operatives responsible. This decisive move reflects commendable responsiveness to public outrage.

“However, accountability must not stop at arrest. The NBA insists that the perpetrators must be promptly and diligently prosecuted in accordance with the law. 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 NBA said the incident “highlights the urgent need for comprehensive training, reorientation, and continuous capacity-building of security operatives.

“Respect for human rights, professionalism, and restraint must be embedded in their conduct at all times.”

It asked the Anambra State government to ensure that “mechanisms are put in place to prevent the recurrence of such violations and to reassure citizens that the forces meant to protect them will not become agents of abuse,” promising to ensure justice for Elobor.

Culprits threatened to rape, kill her — Lawyer

Elobor’s lawyer, Cyrus Onu, said: “They (security agents) were banging the door, and she was trying to open the door, and they just kicked the door, and it almost hit their faces.

“Most of them were masked in mufti with guns, so you can imagine how scared the kids (corps members) were.

“They (security agents) didn’t give any identification. They just said, ‘Come down, come down. You’re all thieves! You’re all ‘Yahoo’ people.’

“When they tried to drag them downstairs, Elobor was insisting that if they must take them anywhere, they should allow them (corps members) to call their LGI (Local Government Inspector) because the corps members did not know who the operatives were,” the lawyer said on Channels Television, yesterday.

“That was when they started pouncing on her. They made derogatory comments, asking her who gave her the right as a lady to speak to them anyhow. They started beating her.

“She asked them to allow her to change into something appropriate, and they said, ‘That thing you’re trying to cover, we’ll see it today. We’ll beat you up, we’ll rape you, kill you and dump you and nobody can say anything.”

The lawyer also claimed that the security agents threatened to kill her colleagues for trying to defend her.

Further, said: “Ken (state government spokesperson) was alleging that the lady was not forthcoming, and that was why they couldn’t go on with the investigation. That’s not true. In fact, when they got to the secretariat, those people were still firing guns in the air to intimidate them.

“It was one of the local inspectors who came from the NYSC that told them to allow them (corps members) to go, that was how they let them go.

“If not for the fact that it (the incident) came to the public, all of those things they are saying are not true. They are not prepared to prosecute, they are not going to prosecute.

“And, of course, that is not the only redress our clients are seeking. There must be consequences for bad behaviour, and they (the perpetrators) will pay damages. My clients are seeking compensatory damages, and they will have to pay.

“We’ve since written a petition to the government of Anambra State demanding that those persons be prosecuted, and we will follow up to also ensure compensatory damages.”

Senator Dafinone condemns assault

Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central senatorial district, also condemned the assault on Elohor, describing the act as “barbaric, inhuman, and a disgrace to national service.”

In a statement, yesterday, he said: “No Nigerian citizen, much less a young lady serving her fatherland, should ever be subjected to such dehumanising treatment.”

He demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to serve as deterrence, while also calling on the Anambra State Government to compensate the victim for the trauma and damages suffered.

Dafinone further urged NYSC authorities to take proactive measures to safeguard corps members across Anambra, insisting that the trust of parents must not be betrayed by negligence.

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