![National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official X handle of Mr Ribadu | https://x.com/NuhuRibadu/status/1706387205881581715?s=20]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2024/02/Nuhu-Ribadu-NSA.jpg?fit=1883%2C1062&ssl=1)
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the assault on Jennifer Elobor, a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member reportedly stripped by vigilante group operatives in Anambra State.
The association said beating Ms Elobor and tearing her clothes were degrading, inhumane, and a direct violation of her dignity and fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.
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“Nobody, whether suspected of an offence or entirely innocent, deserves to be subjected to such barbaric treatment. Justice must be seen to be done, and operatives who assaulted Ms Elobor must be prosecuted,” the NBA said.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that a viral video showed Ms Elobor being assaulted and stripped by operatives of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group in the state.
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The incident occurred on 23 July in Oba, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, but the clip went viral on Monday after the Haven 360 Foundation uploaded it on Facebook.
On Tuesday, the Anambra State Government disclosed that the operatives involved in the assault had been arrested and were under investigation.
In a statement dated 19 August and shared on the its X account, the NBA said the conduct displayed in the video was a complete negation of those safeguards and an affront to human decency.
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The statement noted that while security agencies are empowered to arrest criminals and maintain order, they are not allowed to violate citizens’ rights. It added that even during arrests, the law provides procedures to protect individual dignity.
Accountability must not stop at arrest
Although the association commended the Anambra State Government for its swift action in identifying and arresting the operatives responsible, it stressed that the matter must not end there.
“This decisive move reflects commendable responsiveness to public outrage. However, accountability must not stop at arrest,” it said. “The perpetrators must be promptly and diligently prosecuted in line with the law. “Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, to serve as both redress for Ms Elobor and deterrence against similar abuses in the future.”
The NBA urged the Anambra State Government to prevent a recurrence of such violations and reassure citizens that security forces will not become agents of abuse. It also directed its Anambra branches and the National Litigation Committee to monitor the case to ensure justice.
The association reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rule of law, safeguarding human dignity, and ensuring justice for Ms Elobor.
It said the incident showed the urgent need for training and reorientation of security operatives, stressing that respect for human rights, professionalism, and restraint must guide their conduct.
Officials condemn vigilantes’ act
A video capturing Ms Elobor’s assault experience stirred outrage after going viral on Monday. Since then, the Anambra State government and the NYSC have condemned the act.
The Special Adviser on Community Security to Governor Charles Soludo, Ken Emeakayi, described the incident as unfortunate and unacceptable.
Mr Emeakayi said the raid was conducted under Operation Udo Ga-Achi, a joint task force of the police, army, SSS, NSCDC, and Agunechemba Vigilante Group, during which operatives pursued suspected cultists into the NYSC lodge.
He said the operatives were immediately arrested and detained.
Nonye Soludo, wife of the Anambra State governor, also condemned the assault in a Facebook post. She said there was no justification for such humiliating abuse and that the demeaning approach to law and order was alien to Anambra State.
The NYSC also expressed sadness, with its spokesperson, Caroline Embu, describing the conduct of the vigilante group members as “unacceptable and dehumanising”. She backed the ongoing police investigation to unravel what transpired.
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