Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo has condemned in strong terms the assault on Ms Jennifer Elohor by operatives of the state vigilance corps even as his wife Dr Nonye Soludo, on Wednesday invited Elohor to the Government House for a meeting over the incident.
“I was deeply disturbed by the way that young lady was assaulted. There is absolutely no justification for such a cruel and humiliating act.
“I have reached out to the corps member to check on her well-being and extended an invitation to her,” she said.
She added that Elohor informed her she was not presently in Anambra but had promised to contact her immediately upon return.
Elohor, in a viral video, was seen being assaulted by operatives of the ‘Agunechemba’ vigilante group at Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area.
The operatives reportedly invaded the lodge where the corps member lived, assaulted her, and stripped her naked in the process.
The action has since been condemned by various groups, with the Anambra State Government handing the suspects over to security authorities for prosecution.
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Meanwhile, the YPP Candidate in the upcoming Anambra Governorship poll, Mr Paul Chukwuma, has decried the recent alleged assault on a female NYSC member by vigilance operatives (Udogachi) in the state.
Reacting to the incident during an interactive session with newsmen in Awka, on Tuesday, Chukwuma described the attack as inhuman.
“I have watched the video of an assault on a lady by members of Udogachi, a security outfit under the control of the Anambra Government.
“The lady, identified as Ms Jennifer Elobor, a corps member serving in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, was beaten to a pulp and stripped naked by several operatives of Udogachi.
“Similar barbaric behaviour, like the strange abuse of this lady, has continued to be meted out to unsuspecting members of the public in Anambra to the chagrin of all sane minds.
“This incident must not be swept under the carpet, like the ones before it.
“I am calling on the State Government to take a firm stance against these public abusers and bring them to justice.
“I also call on the security agencies to ensure that these abusers are not only rounded up, but compelled to face the law,” he said.
Chukwuma accused the state vigilance group of being high handed to the people they were supposed to protect.
He said: “I am appalled by this absurdity, which has unfortunately become the daily experience of the residents of Anambra, who are held hostage in their homeland by a security outfit set up to protect them.
“Notwithstanding, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the governor, has never deemed it necessary to call these people to order.”
Chukwuma accused the State Government of not living up to expectation, hence the abuse of power by the security outfit.
“The security outfit has always been on the negative side of the news for maltreating innocent citizens,” he said.
The governorship hopeful alleged that insecurity in the state had increased unabated.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Operation Udogachi was established by the government to complement the police and other security agencies in the fight against insecurity, such as kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and ritual killings, among other crimes. (NAN)
Its good that the governor has spoken against this bad behaviour. There must be consequences for criminal acts under state cover.