Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central Senatorial District, has urged the Nigeria Police to immediately arrest and prosecute those behind the heinous assault on a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Miss Edema Jennifer Elohor, in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Dafinone warned that “anything less will embolden further abuse of citizens’ rights under the guise of community security,” stressing that bringing the perpetrators to justice would serve as a deterrent.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the inhuman and barbaric assault on Miss Edema Jennifer Elohor by operatives of Operation Udo Ga-Achi, otherwise known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group. Their cruel actions were not only a grave violation of her dignity and rights but also an affront to the ideals of national service and unity,” he said.
The senator described the viral video showing vigilantes storming the corps members’ lodge as disturbing, noting that the operatives attacked despite the victims producing valid NYSC identification.
He lamented that Miss Elohor was “brutally beaten, stripped naked, left bleeding, and subjected to humiliating and sexually degrading threats.”
Dafinone said the incident was an indictment on the vigilante outfit and highlighted the urgent need to regulate untrained armed groups who *“weaponise violence against law-abiding citizens.”
He called on the Anambra State Government to offer immediate and adequate compensation to the victim for the physical, psychological, and emotional trauma she suffered, stressing that this was the least obligation owed to her.
The senator also urged the NYSC leadership to ensure the safety and protection of corps members across Anambra State until the completion of their service year.
“The trust of parents and guardians who release their children to serve this nation must not be betrayed by negligence or failure to guarantee their wellbeing. Our young people should never be exposed to brutality while wearing the national uniform of service,” Dafinone warned.
He added that the attack on Miss Elohor is a test of Nigeria’s collective resolve against impunity, insisting that justice must be served swiftly, perpetrators punished, and reforms instituted to prevent a repeat of such abuses.
