We’ve Arrested Them”: Anambra Govt Confirms Detention of Officers Who Assaulted NYSC Member

The Anambra State Government has confirmed the arrest and detention of security operatives who assaulted a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Jennifer Elobor, in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area.

The incident, which drew widespread condemnation after a viral video surfaced online, showed armed operatives storming a corps members’ lodge. Despite the occupants presenting their NYSC identification cards and uniforms, the officers accused them of internet fraud. The footage also revealed Ms. Elobor being physically assaulted, with her clothes torn, leaving her partly unclothed.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Special Adviser on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, confirmed that those involved had been apprehended.

“Immediately the incident happened, we arrested the operatives involved and placed them in detention,”** he said. **“Our practice is to first carry out preliminary investigations, bring in the victims and complainants, and then determine whether the matter warrants internal disciplinary action or prosecution.”

Mr. Emeakayi explained that the assault occurred during a joint security operation, *Operation Udo Gatchi*, when officers pursuing suspected cultists on motorcycles entered a residential compound.

“The operatives were on the trail of some suspected cultists riding on motorcycles when they pursued them into a compound. In the process of searching the houses in line with their mandate, the unfortunate incident involving the corps member occurred. While they were acting within the law, their conduct in that instance was unacceptable,” he stated.

He added that Ms. Elobor and NYSC officials were invited to his office to provide testimonies, after which the government concluded that disciplinary measures must be taken.

Clarifying further, Mr. Emeakayi noted that Operation Udo Gatchi is a multi-agency task force comprising the police, army, DSS, civil defence, and the state’s security outfit, Agbunechemba, established under the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025.

He assured the public that Governor Soludo’s administration will not tolerate any form of abuse of power by security personnel, especially against innocent citizens.

“Our conclusion is that while the operatives were on a legitimate assignment, the manner in which they acted was not acceptable. We have made that very clear, and disciplinary measures are being taken,” he stressed.

The viral video continues to fuel calls for justice from citizens and rights groups, many of whom insist that such actions undermine public trust in security agencies.