Soludo sacks Anambra vigilante operatives over assault on female corps member

The Anambra State Government has dismissed operatives of the state ad-hoc security organisation “Udo Ga Chi” who were involved in stripping naked a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Jennifer Edema Elohor.

Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Homeland Security, Prince Emeakayi disclosed this during an interview on Arise television on Tuesday.

Emeakayi also condemned the action of the state vigilante operatives.

The NYSC member was seen in a viral video being assaulted and stripped naked by some operatives of the Agunaechemba state’s security organisation with each of them brandishing pump action rifles.

The state government condemned that action of the operatives, declaring that the affected persons have already been disengaged, adding that the government was also ready to produce them for prosecution whenever the police need them.

Emeakayi described the erring operatives as ‘bad eggs’ that could be found even in the nation’s conventional security organisations like the police force.

He argued that their actions did not represent the patriotic and sound security commitments of members of the ad-hoc security organisation, especially the Agunaechemba arm of the Udo Ga Chi.

The governor’s aide stressed that the state government was collaborating with the state police command to provide proper training to members of the security group to acquire proper security management skills, adding that each of the operatives have identification number for identification on their uniforms.

“The action of the security operatives are condemnable, and, as such all the operative involved in that despicable action of stripping the NYSC member naked have been disengaged from the state government’s vigilant service.

“Whenever the state police command is ready for their prosecution, as a government we will produce them,” he said.

Residents of Anambra State have condemned the assault of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member by operatives of the Agunaechemba and Udo Ga Chi security operatives of the Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration.

The incident has sparked outrage, with community groups and concerned citizens describing the act as “barbaric” and demanding justice.

In a statement shared online, a civic group, BRGIE, said it had raised concerns about the conduct of local security outfits in the state long before the latest incident.

“We strongly condemn the disgraceful assault on an innocent NYSC lady by armed guards. Such brutality against our youth is unacceptable and erodes trust in leadership. We demand justice, accountability, and an apology,” the group said.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Tochukwu has confirmed the action of the Agunaechemba operatives.

He said that the victim had sent a WhatsApp chat where she complained about the assault on her by the vigilante operatives.

SP Ikenga, who featured on a separate segment on Arise television, said he had advised Elohor to come to his office at the state police headquarters to formally table her case.

This he noted, will enable the Command to carry out proper investigation into the issue to ensure that the perpetrators faced the full weight of the law.