Eight members of Agunechemba, the security outfit established by the Anambra State government through a law passed by the state House of Assembly in January this year, became victims of the high wire politics of the state through their overzealous actions sometime in July.
On the fateful day, they had swooped on a building occupied by members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, at Oba, Idemili South local government area of the state and, in a gestapo manner, descended on the occupants of the building on the allegation that Yahoo boys were allegedly hiding there and they, therefore, came to arrest them, reports Saturday Vanguard.
The major victim of the attack was Miss Jennifer Elohor, who, in a viral video, was stripped naked and beaten to stupor and forcefully taken away. Narrating her ordeal, Elohor said: “My colleagues and I were indoors when we heard an aggressive knock on our door. At first, we thought it was our neighbours’ door because it’s a three-storey building with several flats. But the knock became louder and more aggressive. So I decided to check. Before I could reach the door, it was kicked open.
“They beat me, tore my clothes, and even hit one of my colleagues with an iron rod for pleading on my behalf. They forced me into their vehicle, pressing my neck, slapping me, and threatening to smash our phones if we contacted anyone.”
Already, the wife of the Anambra State governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, has invited Elohor to the government house, to sympathise with her over the unfortunate incident.
An aide to the Anambra first lady said: “The wife of the governor, Dr Nonye Soludo has reached out to the NYSC member and invited her to the government house. She called her on the phone and pleaded with her to come for a meeting. However, the lady told Her Excellency that she was not in Anambra State at the moment and promised to honour the invitation on her return to the state.
“The lady was very happy with the humility of the governor’s wife as she expressed her willingness to visit her. So, we are expecting her very soon.” The governor’s wife had earlier condemned the action of the security outfit and assured that justice must be served to serve as a deterrent to others.
In the meantime, the affected operatives have been sacked by the state government and handed over to the police after being paraded at the Agunechemba office in Awka.
The special adviser to Governor Soludo on Community Security, Prince Ken Emeakayi, said although the officers were on legitimate duty when the incident occurred, their conduct during the search operation was “unacceptable and regrettable.”
“The Agunechemba officers, in conjunction with the central strike force team”, he stated, were in pursuit of suspected cultists riding on 12 motorcycles when the suspects ran into a compound.
The officers, he added, subsequently began searching rooms within the premises, leading to the assault of the corps member.
“As part of our internal conflict-resolution mechanism, the men involved have been arrested. We have also reached out to the victim and her NYSC local government headquarters, and they have even visited my office in Awka. The state government is already investigating the matter”, he said.
It was gathered that what triggered Elohor’s viral video was a similar incident involving a passenger on Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson, who was earlier stripped naked at the Lagos Airport and the matter became a national concern. Additionally, supporters of some political parties that had encounter with Agunechemba operatives during the recent bye-elections, were also fingered to be the purveyors of the viral video of Elohor to score political points and portray the outfit as anti people.
Expectedly, the Elohor incident triggered reactions from politicians in Anambra State up ahead of the November 8 governorship election, with most of them using it to campaign against the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA,- controlled state government.
The Anambra State Labour Party caucus in the national assembly called on the Nigeria Police Force to bring to book perpetrators of the violent attack against Miss Jenifer Elohor.
The lawmakers described the brutal attack as a heinous, cruel, and criminal act that flagrantly violated the laws of the land. The lawmakers also urged the state government to take immediate action to protect the peace and security of residents and visitors by holding the state- controlled security outfit accountable and responsive.
“The LP caucus, as a responsible and law – abiding forum, does not support criminality, but is seriously amazed that vigilante services in Anambra State are beginning to take over the functions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Police, such that they now have the effrontery to burst into female Lodge to brutalize and strip ladies naked, in the guise of fighting crime.
“The impunity and lawlessness of Agunechemba is well documented and must, therefore, be checked before it further gets out of hand.
“We demand immediate and comprehensive investigation and those found culpable must be brought to book to act as a deterrent to others.
“In fact, it is our contention that since no one can be an impartial arbiter in his own case, we urge the Police to take over investigations into the matter, so as to ensure that justice is done to all concerned”, the caucus said in a statement.
Similarly, the party’s governorship candidate for the November election, Dr George Moghalu, called on the federal government to intervene in the matter.
“The federal government should make a comment about this, moreso as the lady is on a national assignment and should be protected. It should also intervene in the security situation in Anambra State.
“I was saddened by what I saw in the video concerning the lady because it is scandalous, not just to Anambra or the state government, but to every responsible person. It is unacceptable.
“No matter what the lady may have done, it should have been better to arrest her in the normal way and hand her over to the police, and not brutalizing and bringing down her dignity. I have said it many times that these people were not trained, which is why they should be disbanded, trained and indoctrinated to suit what we need in this state”, Moghalu said.
Reviewing the incident, the Anambra State Police command assured that it would ensure that such a thing would not repeat itself.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said a detailed investigation would be carried out by the state Police command on the matter.
“The command has reiterated that assault in any form remains a criminal offence under the Nigerian law and reserves the right to take necessary legal action to aid the court proceedings while waiting for the victim”, Ikenga said.
He cautioned vigilante operatives and other quasi-security outfits against acts of brutality or abuse of authority, warning that any such misconduct will not be condoned. He also reassured corps members serving across the state of their unwavering commitment to their protection, advising them to always report incidents of harassment, intimidation, or abuse for prompt intervention.
The National Youth Service Corps also condemned the assault and issued a statement to that effect. “Management wishes to restate its strong commitment to the welfare and security of corps members nationwide and would not condone any individual or group undermining their safety for whatsoever reason,” the statement read.
It urged host communities and security agencies to collaborate in ensuring a safe environment for corps members.
