The Legal Assistance and Citizens Rights Initiative (LACRI) has condemned in strong terms the brutal assault and humiliation of a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Miss Jennifer Edema Elohor, in Anambra State.
A viral video circulating online shown members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group violently beating, stripping, and leaving the corps member bloodied. The group is reportedly operating under the authority of Governor Charles Soludo’s administration.
LACRI described the incident as barbaric, inhumane, and degrading, stressed that it represented a gross violation of fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Executive Director of LACRI, Martin Atojoko, Esq, in a statement, said the incident is not only a dent on Anambra State but also a shameful stain on Nigeria’s democracy where jungle justice is carried out against the weak while the political elite who plunder the nation’s wealth daily are shielded from accountability.
The group called for a thorough investigation into the actions of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, insisting that those responsible must be prosecuted regardless of political backing. It also demanded that the state government tender a public apology and provide adequate compensation to the victim, while urging urgent reforms or outright disbandment of vigilante groups that operate outside the law.
LACRI further urged the police to act with empathy by not expecting the traumatized victim to physically report at the station, noted that she may be receiving treatment in the hospital or seeking refuge with her family. Instead, the group advised that investigators should locate her and take her statement directly.
The organization also called on Governor Charles Soludo, the Inspector General of Police, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the NYSC Directorate to act decisively, warned that silence or delay will only embolden further abuse and lawlessness. It stressed that jungle justice must never be tolerated in a society that claimed to uphold democracy and the rule of law.
