By Olatunbosun Obafemi
The recent barbaric attack on Jennifer Edema Elohor, a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), alongside some of her colleagues in Anambra State, by armed men believed to be operatives of the Operation Udo Ga-Achi, also known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group, has once again thrown up an unsettling question: can Nigeria truly handle state-controlled policing without descending into abuse of power?
The disturbing assault, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, showed Elohor and others being brutalized – beaten and stripped naked – in a manner that shocks the conscience of any society that lays claim to civility. For many Nigerians, this was not just an isolated case of misconduct, but a glimpse into what might become the new normal if the clamour for state police is granted without proper safeguards.
The agitation for state police has been loud and persistent. Proponents argue that centralised policing in a diverse and vast country like Nigeria is inefficient, slow, and detached from local realities. They believe that empowering states to control their own police forces would improve community security, quicken response to crime, and reduce the reliance on overstretched federal agencies. In theory, this makes sense. But the Anambra incident offers a frightening preview of what happens when local armed groups are given unchecked authority under the guise of maintaining order.
The Agunechemba Vigilante Group in Anambra, like many such outfits across the country, was set up to complement the Nigerian Police Force in fighting crime at the grassroots. However, over the years, these groups have morphed into semi-autonomous forces with little or no accountability. Instead of upholding the law, they sometimes become lawless themselves – harassing innocent citizens, extorting motorists, and brutalizing young people under the pretext of “keeping the community safe.” Their actions mirror the dangers critics warn against in the ongoing debate on state policing: abuse of power, politicisation of security, and the erosion of fundamental rights.
That the victim of this latest assault is a corps member makes the matter even more troubling. The NYSC scheme is one of Nigeria’s last remaining national bridges, fostering unity by deploying young people to states outside their regions of origin. Corps members serve under often difficult conditions, but they do so in the spirit of patriotism and national integration.
To subject Jennifer Edema Elohor and her colleagues – who are rendering national service – to such inhuman treatment is not only an attack on their persons, but an assault on Nigeria’s unity. It sends a dangerous signal that the very people who should be protected by the state can become helpless victims of local brutality.
If vigilante operatives, who are technically not even police officers, can unleash such violence on defenceless corps members, what would happen when state governments are handed full control of armed police forces? Nigeria’s political culture is still marred by authoritarian tendencies, intolerance of opposition, and weaponisation of state institutions. Governors already wield enormous powers in their domains, often treating state legislatures and local councils as appendages. Giving them direct control of armed police units, without building strong institutions of accountability, risks turning state police into tools of political oppression.
We have seen glimpses of this in the way some state-backed vigilantes operate today. Instead of acting impartially, they are sometimes deployed against political opponents or used to intimidate dissenting voices. During elections, these groups are notorious for enforcing “order” in ways that stifle democratic expression. The Anambra incident involving Elohor is, therefore, not just a random act of brutality but a warning shot about what could happen on a larger scale.
This is not to suggest that the idea of state police should be completely discarded. Localised security structures are necessary in a federation like Nigeria. However, the country must learn from incidents like this before rushing headlong into reforms that could worsen insecurity rather than improve it. If state police must be created, then a robust framework of accountability must be built around it. This should include independent oversight bodies, federal safeguards against abuse, and clear delineation of powers to prevent governors from turning the police into personal armies.
The Agunechemba Vigilante Group’s assault on corps members also underscores the urgent need for reforming Nigeria’s justice and law enforcement systems. Vigilante groups thrive partly because of the failure of the federal police to effectively secure communities. Citizens turn to these local outfits for protection, but in the process, they are exposed to new forms of insecurity. The federal government must therefore invest in community policing models that strengthen trust, uphold human rights, and operate under strict professional standards.
Ultimately, the attack on Jennifer Edema Elohor must not be allowed to pass as just another viral video that will fade from public memory. It should serve as a rallying point for deeper conversations about how Nigeria balances the quest for security with the protection of human dignity. The NYSC, civil society organisations, and human rights advocates must demand justice for the victim, while state authorities must rein in their vigilantes.
Nigeria cannot afford to normalise barbarism in the name of security. If the agitation for state police is to succeed, then incidents like the Anambra vigilante assault must be treated as cautionary tales, reminding us that without accountability, empowerment easily becomes impunity.
