Justice for Corp Member, Jenifer Elobor Stripped Naked by Vigilantes in Anambra
By Taiwo Olapade
It was another high-level violation of the fundamental human rights of a young lady, Jenifer Elobor, in Anambra State. The viral video shows about five men, including members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group armed with AK-47 rifles, beating up the NYSC member at their lodge in Oba despite her identifying herself and her colleagues pleading for her release. She was eventually stripped naked. It was indeed a show of shame and disrespect for human dignity.
Those responsible for making the obscene video go viral should also not go unpunished, as it has sparked widespread condemnation, with some Nigerians demanding immediate justice. The vigilante members claimed that the corps member was a fraudster.
This comes barely a week after Ibom Air officials almost stripped Ms. Comfort Emmanson naked following an argument over switching off her phone on a flight from Uyo to Lagos.
Of course, one can easily conclude that the failure of the Ministers of Justice and Aviation & Aerospace to prosecute the airline officials could be responsible for emboldening this set of men to engage in such an unholy act in broad daylight.
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has vowed that the law will take its course on the matter while promising a complete overhaul of the activities of vigilante groups, as the state police command paraded the perpetrators involved in the brutal assault.
The Anambra State Police Command Spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement, said the ongoing investigation into the brutal assault and public stripping of the NYSC member, Jenifer Elobor, by more than five armed operatives of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group has been hampered due to her failure to appear.
The Command’s statement was in response to requests for comment on the incident, which occurred in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area.
The Nigerian Bar Association, human rights activists, and the media must also stand firmly with the young lady by doing all that is necessary to uphold her fundamental human rights and ensure that the matter is not swept under the carpet.
