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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District in Delta State, Ede Dafinone has vehemently condemned the brutal assault on Edema Elohor, a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
In a statement he signed, he described the violent actions of the armed operatives from Operation Udo Ga-Achi, also known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, as a deeply inhumane violation of Elohor’s dignity and rights, and a direct attack on the values of national service and unity.
A disturbing video circulating online shows the vigilante group forcefully breaking into the corps members’ lodge and attacking them despite their presentation of valid NYSC identification. Elohor was subjected to a savage beating, stripped naked, left bleeding, and faced humiliating and sexually degrading threats.
“No Nigerian citizen, especially a young woman devoted to national service, should ever endure such dehumanizing treatment,”
Dafinone emphatically stated.
He further condemned the vigilante group, emphasizing the need for urgent regulation: “This barbarity is an indictment on the Agunechemba Vigilante Group. It underscores the urgent need to regulate the activities of untrained and unprofessional armed vigilante groups who now weaponise violence against law-abiding citizens.”
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The senator demanded accountability from law enforcement: “I demand that those who carried out this heinous assault be identified, arrested, and prosecuted by the Police authority to serve as a deterrent to others. Anything less will embolden further abuse of citizens’ rights under the guise of community security.”
Dafinone also called on the Anambra State Government to provide support for the victim: “Furthermore, I call on the Anambra State Government to take full responsibility by offering immediate and adequate compensation to Miss Edema Elohor Jennifer for the physical, psychological, and emotional trauma she has suffered. This is the least obligation owed to her after such a harrowing ordeal. The state must act to restore her dignity and send a clear message that such lawlessness will not be tolerated.”
He appealed to the NYSC leadership to improve protections for all corps members serving in the state: “Equally, I urge the leadership of the NYSC to ensure the safety and protection of corps members serving 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 concluded by stressing the importance of defending human rights: “As representatives of the people, we must uphold the sanctity of human rights and protect the most vulnerable.
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.”
