Rights Groups Condemn Brutal Assault and Stripping of Female NYSC Member in Anambra, Demand Prosecution of Perpetrators
The attack, recorded in a viral video, has ignited widespread outrage and demands for accountability.
The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) and the Women Aid Collective (WACOL) have condemned the brutal assault and public humiliation of a serving female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ms. Jennifer Elobor, in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The assault, which was captured in a viral video, has sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, FENRAD described the incident as “inhumane and degrading,” stressing that it violated Elobor’s dignity, bodily integrity, and constitutional rights.
“This act is not only a violation of human dignity but also a gross abuse of authority and a breach of Nigeria’s constitutional provisions protecting citizens from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment (Section 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended),” said Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director of FENRAD.
FENRAD demanded, “Immediate arrest and prosecution of all individuals involved in the assault under relevant state and federal laws, including the Anti-Torture Act of 2017; a full judicial inquiry into the operations and accountability mechanisms of Operation Udo Ga Chi and similar vigilante groups operating in Anambra and other southeastern states.
“A directive from the Anambra State Government and the Nigeria Police Force to disband or restructure the Agunechemba Vigilante Group if found complicit in systematic rights violations.
“Public apology and compensation to Ms. Elobor, whose dignity and service to the nation have been grossly violated, and engagement by the NYSC Directorate and relevant federal bodies to ensure that serving corps members are protected in their places of primary assignment.”
The group warned that the normalisation of jungle justice and sexual humiliation under the guise of security must be uprooted.
Similarly, WACOL condemned the brutal assault and public sexual humiliation of Elobor.
WACOL’s Executive Director, Prof. Joy Ezeilo (SAN), in a statement issued on Wednesday, described the incident as a “stark call for accountability.”
“Why do some men, especially those tasked with protecting us, choose to target women and violate their dignity?” Ezeilo asked.
“Every woman deserves respect for her dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy. The viral video of the corps member is disturbing. Those responsible must be held to account.”
Ezeilo, a human rights lawyer and former UN envoy to Sudan, also raised concerns about the fact that the video of the assault was filmed and circulated, allegedly by security personnel themselves.
“Who filmed this outrage, and who spread it? The answer, disturbingly, points to security personnel themselves,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, a special adviser to former Anambra governor Peter Obi, demanded that the security operatives involved in the barbaric act should face symbolic punishment to deter future abuses.
Obienyem maintained that the vigilante operatives should be given the same treatment – “stripping them naked” in a public square.
“I therefore suggest that all those who took part in stripping the Anambra corps members naked should themselves be stripped naked and paraded for three hours at Ekwueme Square before the eyes of the public. Nothing else will so quickly put an end to this madness,” Obienyem said.
Citing examples from ancient Greek history, Obienyem argued that public shaming, though harsh, sometimes restores sanity faster than endless appeals to conscience.
“When moral decay assumes epidemic proportions, extraordinary remedies may be necessary. Public shaming, though harsh, sometimes restores sanity faster than endless appeals to conscience,” he said.
The vigilante operatives stormed the corps members’ lodge in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, accusing Elobor and her colleagues of being internet fraudsters despite their presentation of valid NYSC identification cards and uniforms.
The video captured the security operatives violently beating Elobor, tearing her clothes, and stripping her naked as she cried for help, while her colleagues and other eyewitnesses pleaded for the assault to stop.
The incident has raised broader concerns about the role of vigilante groups in southeastern Nigeria, with civil society organisations urging authorities to act decisively to curb impunity.
