A National Youth Service Corps member, Jennifer Elohor, who was brutalised by Anambra security operatives, otherwise known as  “Agunechemba”, at a corpers lodge in Oba, Idemili Local Government Area of the state, has recounted her harrowing experience.

In a video that went viral on Tuesday, the operatives armed with guns stormed the corps members’ lodge, accused them of being Internet fraudsters, although they knew they were corps members. They were seen beating the female corps member despite her cries for help.

The incident has continued to generate widespread reactions across the state, with stakeholders, civil society organisations, human rights groups, and lawmakers condemning the action of the vigilante group, with many demanding justice for the victim and calling for sanctions against the vigilante team.

Elohor, who narrated her ordeal in an interview with a media personality, Aprokoking, shared online on Wednesday, said the Anambra State operatives broke into her residence, assaulted her, and forcefully took her and some of her colleagues away.

This is just as the Anambra State Government has tendered a public apology to the victim and anyone who had suffered abuse or harassment in the hands of Agunechemba personnel.

The corps member said the incident occurred on July 13, around 5pm, at the lodge where she and other corps members were residing.

She said she and her colleagues were indoors when suddenly they heard a violent knock on their door.

She said, “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.

“A masked man armed with a gun stormed into the room without any form of 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. The intruders ransacked our room, seized our phones and laptops, and became violent.

“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 further claimed that when they requested to call their lodge proprietor or NYSC officials to notify them of where they were being taken to, the vigilante members became more brutal and violent.

“They beat me, tore my clothes, and even hit one of my colleagues with an iron rod for 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 added.

Following the outrage, the Anambra State Government, through the Special Adviser to the state governor on Community Security and leader of Agunechemba, Ken Emeakayi, while speaking to journalists on Thursday, restated that the eight personnel responsible have been identified, sacked, arrested and detained.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the sudden death of Ambassador Taofik Obasanjo Coker, Nigeria’s Consul General in Buea, Republic of Cameroon.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Ambassador Coker died on Saturday, August 16, after a brief illness.

Ebienfa described the late envoy as a hardworking and dedicated career diplomat who served Nigeria with distinction and professionalism in different capacities.

“His untimely death, therefore, is a great loss to the diplomatic community and the nation at large,” the statement read.

The Ministry noted that before his appointment as Consul General in Buea, Ambassador Coker had served Nigeria meritoriously in the country’s Missions in Conakry, Guinea, and Shanghai, China.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Wednesday shut down 13,597,057 social media accounts on platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) for posting offensive content and breaching Nigeria’s Code of Practice for online platforms.

The Vanguard reports that the enforcement action followed the submission of the 2024 Compliance Report by major service providers such as Google, Microsoft, and TikTok.

Despite the shutdown, NITDA commended the platforms for their cooperation and adherence to Nigeria’s regulations, which were developed in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Highlights of the 2024 Compliance Report include: Registered complaints: 754,629, Content removed: 58,909,112, Content reuploaded after appeal: 420,439, Accounts shut down/deactivated: 13,597,057.

NITDA said the figures demonstrate the platforms’ efforts to protect users and remove harmful content in line with national laws.

The agency reiterated that all online platforms operating in Nigeria must be locally registered, comply with tax requirements, and adhere to the Code of Practice.

NITDA added that it will continue working with industry stakeholders, civil society, and regulators to promote user safety, digital literacy, and transparency across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.