The lawyer representing some of the National Youth Service Corps members assaulted by local vigilantes in Anambra State, Cyrus Onu, has accused the security outfit of attempting to silence the victims with a N10,000 payoff.
Onu, who also raised the alarm over the safety of the victims, alleged that six of them were offered N10,000 each, while others were offered between N25,000 and N100,000.
In a video that went viral on Tuesday, armed operatives of the Anambra State security outfit codenamed “Operation Udo-ga-achi” were seen assaulting the corps members.
The victims are: Jennifer Edema Elohor, Greatness Oyeh, Eze Ikenna Emmanuel, Anighoro Godspower, Amore Mordecai Feyisara, and Beauty Chimenum Wonodi.
One of them, Jennifer, was stripped naked and beaten despite her cries for help.
The incident, which took place in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, sparked outrage from many Nigerians, with many demanding justice for the victim and calling for sanctions against the vigilante team.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Onu said he had written to the NYSC demanding immediate relocation of the victims over the threat to their lives.
Onu noted that although the money offered the victims was tagged as “compensation and transportation,” it was aimed at silencing the corps members.
He said, “The leader of the vigilante group in Oba that offered them (victims) the money in the presence of the NYSC LGI (Local Government Inspector) who also assisted in deleting the video from their phones so as to get rid of the evidence.
“Six of them (victims) were given N10,000, one of them was given N25,000 cash and another N25,000 transfer, and lastly, Jennifer was given N100,000, all in an effort to ensure that they (victims) do not talk about it.
They tagged the N10,000 as compensation and transport fare, but in actual truth, it was hush money because they told them not to say anything again about the incident otherwise their lives depend on it and other kinds of subtle threats.”
Onu also accused the state police command of attempting to sweep the case under the carpet.
“From the onset when the incident happened, the police was aware and did nothing. As a matter of fact, Jennifer, the primary “corper” assaulted reached out to the police PPRO (Police Public Relations Officer) of Anambra state, sent him the video and narrated all that happened. His response was ‘I will get back to you’ and he never did. It is not until the issue became public that he reached out once,” he said.
Onu also demanded N1bn compensation for “gross violation of the victims’ rights, physical harm, and psychological trauma inflicted upon them.
When contacted, the command Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, denied the allegations, insisting that the police did not try to bury the case.
Ikenga, in a statement made available to our correspondent, noted that Jennifer’s initial unavailability temporarily stalled the police investigation at the beginning, but assured that justice would be served.
