A disturbing video of a young corps member, Jennifer Elobor, being brutally beaten and humiliated by members of a local vigilante group in Anambra State has sparked widespread outrage. The incident has drawn condemnation from prominent figures, including Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Branch.
In a strongly-worded statement, Akangbe described the brutality as “unlawful” and “heartbreaking,” emphasizing that no society that calls itself civilized should tolerate such treatment. He commended the Anambra State Government for swiftly identifying and arresting the perpetrators, but stressed that justice must be seen to be done, with the officers prosecuted and held accountable for their actions.
I came across the disturbing video of Ms. Jennifer Elobor, a young corps member serving in Anambra State, through online sources. Watching her beaten, humiliated, and stripped of her dignity was not only unlawful, it was heartbreaking.
No society that calls itself civilized should ever tolerate such brutality. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees the dignity of the human person and the right to fair hearing. These are not empty words. They are meant to protect every one of us from exactly the kind of abuse Jennifer suffered. When security operatives ignore these safeguards and resort to jungle justice, they undermine not just the victim, but the rule of law itself.
In this instance, the perpetrators have been identified as members of a local vigilante group. While this is appalling in itself, we must be honest enough to admit that similar or even worse violations are often carried out by regular security personnel across Nigeria. Many of these incidents never make it to the public domain. They remain unreported, festering beneath the surface and eroding public trust in our institutions. Jennifer’s ordeal is therefore not an isolated case. It is a symptom of a deeper culture of impunity that must be confronted if we are to call ourselves a society governed by law.
This case is even more troubling because it involves one of our young people, the very future of Nigeria. How do we expect them to have faith in this country if those in uniform, or those clothed with any form of state-sanctioned authority, who are supposed to protect them, turn around to brutalize them? It is unfair, it is unjust, and it sends a dangerous message to the next generation.
I commend the Anambra State Government for moving quickly to identify and arrest the perpetrators. But arrest is not enough. Nigerians need to see that justice will be done. These officers must be prosecuted and held accountable. Only then can society be reassured that there are real consequences for abuse of power.
More broadly, our security agencies must develop a renewed mindset in the way they engage with young people accused of crimes, especially internet-related offenses. The truth is that for a young person to have the creativity, intelligence, and skillset to attempt such activities, it shows there is potential, albeit wrongly applied. Instead of brutalizing them and destroying their spirit, our system should be focused on reforming them so that these talents can be recovered and rechanneled into productive and lawful pursuits.
Law enforcement must never be about intimidation or violence. It must be about service, professionalism, and respect for human rights. A society that brutalizes its young people is a society sabotaging its own future.
Jennifer’s case is a test of our collective conscience. Justice for her is justice for all of us. If we fail to protect one young woman today, we fail to protect ourselves tomorrow.
Signed,
Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, FCIArb (UK)
Former Chairman, NBA Lagos Branch
