Fear in service: Corps member details violent encounter with Anambra Vigilantes

A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Jennifer Elohor, has narrated a harrowing encounter with suspected operatives of the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), alleging that she and her colleagues were violently assaulted, humiliated, and forcefully taken away from their residence.

Elohor recounted the incident during an interview with media personality, Aprokoking, on Wednesday. She said the assault occurred on July 13, around 5 p.m., at the lodge where she and other corps members were staying.

According to Elohor, she and her colleagues were indoors when they heard an aggressive knock on their door.

“At first, we thought it was our neighbours’ door because it’s a three-storey building with several flats. But the knock became louder and more aggressive, so I decided to check. Before I could reach the door, it was kicked open,” she recalled.

She said a masked man, armed with a gun, stormed into the room without identification or uniform.

“At first, I thought it was an armed robber until he ordered all of us to come outside. I tried to explain that we were corps members and even suggested showing our NYSC identity cards. My colleagues also presented theirs, but the men ignored us,” she explained.

Elohor alleged that the men ransacked their apartment, seized their phones and laptops, and assaulted them.

“They pushed us downstairs, almost shoving me down the staircase. They kept asking what gave me the right, as a woman, to challenge them. It was when we got outside that we saw their vehicle and discovered they were from the Anambra Vigilante Group,” she said.

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Attempts to reach out to their lodge proprietor or NYSC officials worsened the situation.

“They beat me, tore my clothes, and even hit one of my colleagues with an iron rod pleading on my behalf. They forced me into their vehicle, pressing my neck, slapping me, and threatening to smash our phones if we contacted anyone,” she narrated.

The incident has sparked concern among observers over the activities of local vigilante groups, which, though recognized by many state governments as community security outfits, have repeatedly faced accusations of excessive force, abuse of power, and extrajudicial actions.

Human rights advocates argue that such groups require stricter oversight and clear operational guidelines, especially when dealing with civilians and vulnerable groups like NYSC members.

An NYSC official in Awka, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak, confirmed that the matter had been reported to the state secretariat and said investigations were ongoing.

The Anambra State Government and the Anambra State Vigilante Group have yet to issue an official response. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on both the NYSC authorities and security agencies to ensure accountability and guarantee the safety of corps members posted to the state.