The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called on Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, to completely disband the Agunechemba Vigilante Group following the brutal assault on a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Jennifer Elobor.
The appeal comes amid widespread outrage after viral footage showed gun-wielding operatives of the outfit, also known as Operation Udo Ga-Achi, assaulting the corps member.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the National President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, said only the immediate scrapping of the security outfit would calm public anger.
According to him, the group has long been notorious for rights violations and extrajudicial practices.
“There have been numerous reports of Agunechemba operatives brutalising innocent citizens, engaging in jungle justice, and violating people’s rights. Organisations like Intersociety have consistently raised alarm over these atrocities, but nothing was done. The case of Ms. Jennifer Elobor only brought their excesses to the public spotlight,” Okwu stated.
He urged Governor Soludo to disband the outfit and institute a fresh recruitment and training process, including mandatory drug testing for new operatives, to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
Okwu further demanded:
The open trial of the perpetrators by the Nigeria Police, with no “sacred cows.”
Adequate compensation for the victim, Jennifer Elobor, by the Anambra State Government.
