An Anambra National Youth Service Corps member, Jennifer Edema Elohor, has bravely broken her silence, revealing the horrific assault she and her fellow corps members endured at the hands of a state-backed vigilante group.
Speaking on Thursday, Jennifer narrated how what was meant to be a routine day turned into a nightmare when she was accused of misconduct and manhandled by the vigilante operatives.
According to her, she was stopped on her way back from the market and questioned over her identity. Despite showing her NYSC uniform and ID card, she alleged that the vigilantes insisted she was “suspicious.” “They accused me of things I didn’t do. Before I knew it, they descended on me, hitting me and calling me names. I kept screaming that I was a corps member, but they wouldn’t listen,” Jennifer recalled.
The incident, which left her with bruises and emotional trauma, has since drawn outrage from fellow corps members and residents in the area, many of whom described the action of the vigilantes as “excessive and unprovoked.” Jennifer further revealed that she believed she was deliberately targeted.
“I don’t know why they picked on me, but I strongly feel it was intentional. If not for passers-by who intervened, I don’t know what would have happened,” she said.
The National Youth Service Corps has condemned the assault, describing the conduct of the vigilante operatives as “unacceptable.”
