*As Anambra Govt arrests vigilantes who stripped female Corps Member
The Anambra State Government has confirmed the arrest and detention of members of its security outfit, Operation Udo Ga-Achi, also known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, following the brutal manhandling and public stripping of a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Jennifer Elobor, in Oba, Idemili-South LGA.
A viral video showed more than five armed vigilante operatives storming the corps members’ lodge, accusing Elobor and her colleagues of being internet fraudsters despite their valid NYSC identification cards and uniforms.
The footage captured the operatives mercilessly beating Elobor, tearing off her clothes, and stripping her naked as she cried out for help, while eyewitnesses begged in vain for the brutality to stop.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage nationwide.
Nigerians reacting via the social media, alongside civil society organisations, are now demanding not only justice for Elobor, but also the outright disbandment of the Agunechemba outfit, which they say, has become notorious for violence, extrajudicial killings, and extortion.
The Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Hon. Ken Emeakayi, described the assault as “unfortunate and unacceptable,” confirming that those involved had been arrested and placed under investigation.
*Nigerians, Civil Society raise the alarm
Meanwhile, Civil rights groups have consistently documented grave abuses by the outfit:
For instance, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), is alarmed over reports that Agunechemba operatives killed innocent civilians under the guise of fighting crime, urging the state government to change its methods and uphold human rights.
Intersociety, a rights group, alleges that Agunechemba has killed at least 40 people extrajudicially in one month, while also engaging in extortion at illegal checkpoints and raiding communities where innocent artisans and even Corps Members were harassed and detained.
In Nnewi, an Agunechemba operative, reportedly killed a woman, Chiamaka Okeke, during a traffic incident, an action which sparked public anger and forced the police to begin monitoring the vigilantes’ activities.
Even government officials have admitted that criminal elements infiltrated Agunechemba, using the platform to rob, extort, and harass innocent civilians.
These repeated abuses, Nigerians argue, prove that the vigilante group is beyond reform.
*Call for disbandment
As public outcry continue, Civil society organisations, human rights advocates, and outraged Nigerians insist that Governor Soludo’s administration must: Disband Agunechemba immediately to prevent further brutality; Investigate and prosecute operatives involved in killings, extortion, and assaults; Replace the vigilante outfit with transparent, rights-based security structures that work with communities while upholding the rule of law.
The arrest of the vigilantes who stripped Jennifer Elobor naked is a necessary first step, but Nigerians and civil society organisations are united in their call: Agunechemba has become a menace and must be disbanded before more innocent lives are destroyed. (Courtesy: Jungle Journalist.com).
