- Vigilante men who humiliated youth corps member in Anambra must be prosecuted
Many Nigerians with some little power seem not to realise that the days of impunity that military rule symbolised are over for good in the country. The political class tends to lead like the military, barking orders even in a democracy. Security agencies, both the regular military and even para-military personnel terrorise the people.
Even the police that are supposed to be closer to the people, protecting and serving them, often go overboard with their use of force.
It is therefore not surprising that the Anambra State vigilante group popularly known as ‘Agunechemba’, literarily translating to, ‘the lion that protects the community’ recently turned the ‘protection in their name to terrorism’.
There has been a viral video showing eight masked members of the group assaulting a female corps member, Jennifer Elohor, a zoology graduate of the Delta State University, Abraka, and at some point stripped her naked.
There has been righteous indignation across the country at a time the social media has made news-reporting accessible to most people with smart phones. The eight vigilante men that were involved have reportedly been dismissed by the state governor, Prof. Charles Soludo. He claimed that even though the incident is trending in August, it happened more than a month ago.
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We are worried that there had been reports of the vigilantes showing signs of authoritarianism and abuse of office. The governor as the chief security officer of the state ought to have cautioned them before this ugly incident.
This embarrassing occurrence with the youth corps member was avoidable. Ironically, as their name implies, they are supposed to protect the citizens, how come they turned into the terror the video depicted them as?
From the victim and other eyewitnesses’ accounts, the group of eight, wearing masks, viciously attacked the corps members, barked orders at them, confiscated their phones and laptops, beat up any of those pleading with them to show mercy, which of course infuriated the vigilantes the more. They were particularly brutal with the main victim, Miss Jennifer Elohor, as they thoroughly beat her, dragged her on the floor and stripped her naked.
Even though the governor claims the culprits have been arrested and sacked from the vigilante group, the lady, her parents and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that posts corps members for national service, insist on justice for the victim.
Governor Soludo claimed the lady has had some restitution from the government, like her phone and other damaged personal effects being replaced. This, to us, though commendable, is not enough.
The assault and violation of young women in Nigeria seem not to have been treated with the seriousness that can send the appropriate signal that government has zero tolerance for such acts. Some men seem to get away with such shenanigans possibly because there are always precedents showing culprits literarily getting a slap on the wrist.
Just a few days ago, another young lady, Comfort Emmason, was assaulted by both a female flight attendant who, upon landing, invited some male Ibom Air personnel and some others who again, violated the lady’s body and privacy. Before the lady could recover from the assault, the Ibom Air management got her imprisoned; she was only released because of national outrage.
This public display of the abuse of power is symptomatic of societal dysfunction. The vigilante people were just re-enacting the abuse of power that is very common in the society, intimidating innocent people, often with that usual question of, “do you know who I am”?
As the saying goes, many people in power at any level often behave as though they are above the law and can always get away with blue murder.
The notorious eight vigilante members must be punished according to the law. A slap on the wrist is not just an insult on the lady and her colleagues who were assaulted but is capable of damaging the image of the state.
The lady claims she is now scared of going back to her place of primary assignment as a result of the assault. Government must take drastic action on these notorious vigilante men, otherwise, many intending corps members might refuse to go and serve in the state.
Investors are watching too. The state must do the needful and that means seeing that justice is seen to have been done in this case. Nigerians are waiting for further action beyond sacking the notorious eight.
