…demand swift justice for the “heinous, barbaric” attack
…urge Police to take over investigation, ensure speedy prosecution
The Caucus said the attack not only violated the laws of the land but also highlighted the growing impunity of the vigilante group.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The Anambra State Labour Party (LP) Caucus in the National Assembly has condemned the violent assault on a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member by operatives of the state’s vigilante outfit, Agunechemba, describing the act as “heinous, cruel and criminal.”
In a statement issued in Awka on Thursday, August 21, the lawmakers urged the Anambra State Government and the Nigeria Police to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice without delay.
The incident, which reportedly occurred last month but went viral recently, showed NYSC member Jennifer Edema Elohor being brutalised by operatives of the security outfit. The Caucus said the attack not only violated the laws of the land but also highlighted the growing impunity of the vigilante group.
Denouncing the state government’s announcement that the errant operatives had been dismissed, the LP lawmakers described the action as “an afterthought,” questioning why it took several weeks for the administration to respond.
“We can wager a bet that, but for public outcry over the matter, the Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration would have, as in several other incidents, simply swept the dastardly act under the carpet,” the statement read.
The lawmakers linked the incident to what they described as the misuse of the Agunechemba outfit during recent elections in the state.
“Only last week, we drew attention to plans by the Governor to deploy the discredited security outfit and other rogue elements to unduly influence the outcome of last Saturday’s by-elections. Didn’t everyone see the deputy governor, Onyeka Ibezim, leave his Awka South homestead with hundreds of Agunechemba operatives in tow to disrupt the elections in Osumenyi, hometown of the APC governorship candidate? Much in the same way that the operatives laid siege on the Oraifite home of the APC senatorial candidate,” the Caucus alleged.
The lawmakers warned against any repeat of such actions in the forthcoming November 8 governorship election.
“If Governor Soludo is dreaming of enacting the same act of brigandage in the November 8 statewide gubernatorial election, he better wakes up to the reality that such rascals would be firmly resisted,” the statement added.
They further accused the vigilante outfit of overstepping its bounds, likening its recent operations to those of federal security agencies.
“We are seriously amazed that vigilante services in Anambra State are beginning to take over the functions of the EFCC and the Police, such that they now have the effrontery to burst into female Corpers’ Lodge to brutalise and strip ladies naked, all under the guise of fighting crime,” the statement read.
Calling the assault “inhuman and barbaric,” the lawmakers demanded a full investigation and speedy prosecution of those involved.
“In fact, it is our contention that since no one can be an impartial arbiter in his own case, we urge the Police to take over investigations into the matter to ensure justice is done. In saner climes, the offending Agunechemba operatives long ought to be in Police custody instead of undergoing interrogation by their bosses. Can cockroaches ever expect to get justice in a court presided over by a hen?” they queried.
The statement was signed by Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Tony Nwoye, Hon. Ozodinobi George, Hon. Afam Ogene, Hon. Idu Emeka, Hon. Oby Orogbu, Hon. Uche Okonkwo, and Hon. Anekwe Peter.