AWKA — The Anambra State government has dismissed eight operatives of the Agunechemba Security outfit following the brutal assault on a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Jennifer Elobor, serving in the state.
The move comes after a viral video on Monday showed armed operatives of the Operation Udo Ga-Achi, also known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, physically assaulting the corps member.
Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, confirmed the dismissal in Awka, saying the operatives had acted outside their mandate and would be handed over to the police for prosecution.
“The Soludo administration will not tolerate any form of unprofessionalism, brutality or abuse of office by security operatives. Any officer found guilty of misconduct will face immediate dismissal and prosecution,” Emeakayi stated.
He added that the state government had covered Elobor’s medical bills, replaced her damaged belongings, and tendered a public apology to her family and the NYSC.
Meanwhile, Elobor’s lawyer, Cyrus Onu, revealed that the dismissed operatives threatened to rape and kill her for speaking out during the assault.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has also waded in, condemning the act as “inhumane” and a “gross violation of her dignity and fundamental human rights.”
In a joint statement by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and National Secretary, Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA commended the state government for its swift intervention but insisted that justice must go beyond dismissal.
“Accountability must not stop at arrest. The perpetrators must be promptly and diligently prosecuted. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, both as redress for Ms. Elobor and deterrence against future abuses,” the NBA said.
The association further stressed the urgent need for proper training and reorientation of community security operatives to ensure respect for human rights and professionalism.
It urged the Soludo administration to strengthen safeguards against abuses and reassure citizens that those tasked with protecting them will not become instruments of oppression.
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