ABUJA/Nigeria: Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central Senatorial District, has strongly condemned the brutal assault on Miss Edema Jennifer Elohor, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Dafinone described the actions of armed operatives of Operation Udo Ga-Achi, also known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, as “inhuman and barbaric,” stressing that the incident was a grave violation of human dignity and a direct affront to the ideals of national service and unity.
A viral video capturing the incident showed the vigilante group storming the corps members’ lodge and descending on them despite their presentation of valid NYSC identification cards. Miss Elohor was reportedly stripped naked, severely beaten, left bleeding, and subjected to humiliating and sexually degrading threats.
“No Nigerian citizen, much less a young lady serving her fatherland, should ever be subjected to such dehumanising treatment,” Dafinone declared. He said the attack underscored the urgent need to regulate the activities of vigilante groups across the country, many of whom, he argued, have turned community policing into a weapon of violence against innocent citizens.
He called on the Police to swiftly identify, arrest, and prosecute those responsible for the “heinous assault,” insisting that anything less would embolden further abuse of citizens’ rights under the guise of security. He also urged the Anambra State Government to take full responsibility by compensating Miss Elohor for the physical, psychological, and emotional trauma she suffered.
“The state must act to restore her dignity and send a clear message that such lawlessness will not be tolerated,” the senator added.
Dafinone further appealed to the leadership of the NYSC to prioritize the protection of corps members serving across Anambra State and the country at large, noting that parents and guardians entrust their children to the nation with the expectation of safety and dignity.
“The attack on Jennifer Elohor is a test of our collective resolve against impunity. Justice must be served swiftly, perpetrators punished, and reforms instituted to prevent a repeat of such shameful abuse in Nigeria,” he said.
