The Labour Party Governorship Candidate in Anambra State, Chief Dr. George Moghalu, has condemned in the strongest terms the barbaric assault on National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members by operatives of the so-called Operation Udo Ga-Achi (Agunechemba Vigilante Group), describing the act as shameful, inhuman, and a national disgrace.
A disturbing viral video, released by Haven360 Foundation, captured the vigilante group storming a corpers’ lodge and unleashing violence on innocent young Nigerians. In the most horrifying case, a female corps member, Jennifer Edema Elohor, was beaten, stripped naked, left bloodied, and subjected to degrading threats of sexual violence, even after she identified herself with her NYSC uniform and identity card.
In a statement issued through his Special Assistant on Media, Onyebuchi Okoye, Dr. Moghalu said the brutality against defenseless corps members represents not only an assault on their persons but an assault on Nigeria’s youth, dignity, and future.
“It is disheartening, embarrassing, and totally unacceptable that youths on national service who left their homes to serve their fatherland could be so humiliated by men armed and empowered to protect them. This is not only a disgrace to Anambra State but a dangerous signal that must be decisively confronted. Our youths deserve honor and protection, not humiliation and bloodshed,” Moghalu declared.
He faulted the failure of government to hold its security agencies and vigilante groups accountable, stressing that while kidnappers, criminals, and bandits operate freely across the state, only innocent citizens and youths become victims of state-backed security.
“Why should corps members be brutalized, stripped, and shamed while criminals roam free? Why is the Anambra Government failing to direct the energies of our security operatives to fight crime instead of unleashing them on innocent youths? The people of Anambra cannot continue to live under fear and intimidation,” Moghalu asked.
Dr. Moghalu warned that the incident reflects a collapse of leadership and accountability, exposing the urgent need for retraining and reorientation of all security and vigilante operatives in the state. He demanded an immediate and transparent investigation, the arrest and prosecution of the culprits, and firm guarantees for the safety of corps members serving in Anambra.
He further commended Haven360 Foundation for exposing the atrocity and standing firmly with the victims and their families in their quest for justice, pledging to continue speaking out against every act of abuse, intimidation, and injustice.
“A government that cannot protect its youths has failed in its most basic duty. The lives and dignity of our young people must remain sacred. Ndi Anambra deserve better, and I will never stop speaking until justice is done and the rights of our youths are fully protected. Let me make it clear: under my watch as governor, such barbarity will never be tolerated. The Labour Party is ever ready to provide the leadership, security, and protection that our people deserve,” Moghalu concluded.