A shocking comment attributed to an official of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has sparked outrage following the brutal assault of a corps member, Ms. Jennifer Edema Elohor, by operatives of the state-owned Agunechemba Vigilante Group in Anambra State.
“What has happened has happened. Some of you ladies are going to get married to men who beat women. So, this is training for you,” the NYSC official reportedly told the victim shortly after the incident.
The disturbing remark came after Jennifer, a 28-year-old Zoology graduate from Delta State University, Abraka, was allegedly stripped naked, beaten, and dragged away by armed vigilante operatives in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area on allegations of internet fraud.
Speaking for the first time since the assault, Jennifer recounted her harrowing ordeal in an interview with Punch newspaper, vowing to seek justice.
“On July 23, around 5 p.m., we were in our lodge working on tasks for our Place of Primary Assignment when masked gunmen forced their way in. They were not in uniform and had no identification. They ordered us out at gunpoint, accused us of being ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ boys and girls, and refused to listen even after we showed them our NYSC ID cards,” she narrated.
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According to her, resistance to follow the unidentified men without contacting NYSC officials provoked violence. “They beat me with sticks and guns, tore my clothes, and stripped me naked. They called me a prostitute, kept hitting me, and dragged me into their vehicle without allowing me to wear anything,” Jennifer said, breaking down in tears as she relived the trauma.
She added that she was driven along a bush path and taken to an open field where other young people were seated on the ground. “At that moment, I thought I was going to die. They threatened to shoot us and dump our bodies in the bush,” she recalled.
Jennifer said she remained naked until a male corps member offered her his shirt. “I sat under a tree in that open space, bleeding and humiliated. They took our phones and laptops and kept accusing us of fraud despite our explanations,” she said.
It took the intervention of the school proprietor where the corps members were posted for them to regain freedom. “We had to beg before they allowed us to call our boss. Even at the point of release, they asked us to ‘settle’ them,” Jennifer added.
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The Anambra State Government has since announced the dismissal of eight members of the vigilante group, describing their actions as “totally outside the mandate of the agency and utterly condemnable.”
Jennifer, however, insists she will press charges. “This is not just about me. It’s about every corps member’s safety. No one should go through this and remain silent,” she declared.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations and human rights groups including CHRICED have demanded a full-scale investigation and accountability into the incident.