The leadership of the Agunaechemba Security Organisation in Anambra State has been accused of an attempt to silence the assaulted members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Recall that a female member of the NYSC, Jennifer Elohor and her colleagues were assaulted by operatives of the security organisation also known as Udo-Ga-Chi at their lodge in Oba.
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 corps members were said to have been wrongly accused by the local security operatives of being involved in internet fraud also known as Yahoo-Yahoo.
The vigilante members were later sacked and handed over to the police by the Anambra State government under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
However, giving insight about the incident, Cyrus Onu who represents the victims said the operatives offered N10,000 each to six of the NYSC members while others were offered between N25,000 and N100,000.
Also raising an alarm over the safety of the victims, the lawyer said there is a need for the corps members to be relocated from their present lodge.
According to Onu, the leader of the vigilante group tagged the money offered to the victims as “compensation and transportation”, it was actually hush money.
“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 said.