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Vigilantes dragged me naked, threatened to dump my corpse in the bush – Corps member, Elohor

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5 months ago

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Jennifer Elohor, a 28-year-old corps member from Delta State serving in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was brutally assaulted, stripped naked, and taken away for questioning by operatives of the state-owned security outfit, Agunechemba, who stormed the corps members’ lodge over allegations of Internet fraud. Speaking for the first time since the attack, the traumatised Zoology graduate of Delta State University, Abraka, tells GODFREY GEORGE the events that led to the now-viral video, expressing her resolve to press charges in pursuit of justice

Videos of you being beaten by some gun-wielding vigilantes were recently circulated on social media. There have been different versions of events as to what led up to that, but no one has heard from you since the news broke. What happened on that day?

On July 23, 2025, around 5 p.m., some corps members and I were in the lodge handling our regular Place of Primary Assignment work. While some were marking scripts or charging their phones, others were just going about their usual activities when we heard a knock on the door.

I stood up to see who it was, since the people who knocked refused to state their names. Before I could get there, they had forced the door open. When I raised my head, I saw a masked man with a gun. He had no uniforms or any form of identification. Behind him, I saw about seven or eight others, also armed. The next thing I heard was, “All of you, come outside!” in a commanding tone.

At first, I thought they were robbers. But when they ordered us to come out, I was shocked. I confronted them, asking why they would barge into our lodge and force us out for no reason. I explained that we were corps members and had committed no crime.

As we argued, some other corps members came out and supported me. They brought out their ID cards and uniforms.

Did they state who they were and their mission?

No, they did not. As we were showing the men our ID cards, they pushed us aside, forced themselves into our apartments, and began ransacking the whole place. They unplugged our phones and laptops and accused us of being “Yahoo Yahoo” (Internet fraudsters).

We kept stressing that we were corps members. A few of us even showed them our uniforms, but they wouldn’t listen and forced us downstairs. It’s a three-storey building. We insisted they had to call our Local Government Inspector or the proprietor of the school we were posted to before arresting us, but the request only angered them more.

They were masked and armed. One even wore a female wig, probably as a disguise. How could we just follow masked men accusing us of fraud?

Did they eventually get through to the LGI or proprietor?

No! When we insisted on making a call, they threatened to smash our phones, shoot us, and dump our bodies in the bush. While this was happening, I kept wondering why they had targeted our apartment.

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When we got downstairs, they insisted we follow them into their three vehicles. I kept insisting they call the LGI, and I think my voice was the loudest. One of them asked who I thought I was and then hit me first with a stick. The others joined in, slapping and beating me with sticks and guns. They tore my clothes and stripped me naked. Even when I tried to cover myself with the torn pieces, they dragged them off and continued torturing me.

What did the other corps members do when this was going on?

What could they do? The lady who tried to cry out was beaten badly with an iron and pushed to the ground. They warned that if the male corps members came close, they would be shot and dumped in the bush.

One of them asked what gave me the “liver” (courage) to confront them. They called me a prostitute and other names, and they kept beating me even as I was naked and helpless. Much of what they said was in Igbo. The Igbo-speaking corps members later told me what it meant.

Were you allowed to put on something before being taken to their station?

Oh no. I begged them to let me wear something, but they refused, saying I was stubborn and a prostitute and would follow them like that.

So, you mean they took you to their station stark naked?

Yes, I was completely naked. I used my hands to cover myself. I was bleeding, but they didn’t care. They dragged me into their vehicle naked. They also dragged the other corps members, nine of us in total, into their vehicles. In the van, they harassed me and pressed my neck.

One of them threatened again that if I made any sound, they’d shoot me and dump my body in the bush, and boasted that nothing would happen. At that moment, I believed him. Nobody knew me. If they had shot me and dumped my body, who would look for me?

Where were you taken to after the arrest?

We were driven through a bush path to an open field where we saw other young people sitting on the floor. They ordered us to sit down, too. All the while, I was still naked. A corps member gave me his shirt to wear, leaving himself bare-chested. Imagine me sitting under a tree in a completely open space like that.

What went through your mind as they drove you through the unfamiliar bush path?

I thought I was going to die. I felt the end had come. I thought they were kidnappers or ritualists. They could have taken alternative routes, but chose the bush path. If they had shot us and dumped our bodies somewhere, no one would know. They were masked and armed. It was as if they disguised themselves intentionally. I had already been stripped of my dignity and beaten. It was only when we got to the secretariat that I managed to see some of their faces.

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What did these men say was your offence?

They accused us of Internet fraud. At their secretariat, I felt so unsafe. They looked scary and were heavily armed. They collected our devices, locked them up, and ordered us to remain seated on the floor.

The Anambra State Government has said the men who attacked you were only eight. Do you corroborate this?

They couldn’t have been only eight. They came in three Sienna vehicles. They were more than that.

When did help eventually come?

When the leader of the group came, he asked those who were there with their relatives to stand and move to a different group. It was as if they were separating us for slaughter. I was so scared because, even though I had a shirt on, I was still very much naked. And don’t forget, I was bleeding from my wounds.

After the separation, only nine of us corps members were left seated on the floor. He said we should look for a family member to come and bail us. We kept stressing that we had been telling them we were corps members, but they refused to listen.

They said it didn’t matter if we were corps members and insisted that we must confess if we had anything related to Internet fraud on our phones. We said no. They then asked if we were taking hard drugs. We said no again. They started threatening us again, but we maintained our stance. All this time, we were still seated on the floor.

How were you then freed from their custody?

At about 6:20 p.m., they allowed one of us to call our proprietor, who came and told them we were corps members. It was not until he arrived that we were released, after much ado. Even with our ID cards, these vigilantes refused to listen. We were all barefoot. They treated us like slaves. Even as they were about to release us, one of them insisted that we had to “settle” them before leaving.

At that point, they fired their guns into the air three times. My God! My heart sank. I thought they would shoot us because we had no money. One of the leaders was trying to identify me, but I managed to blend in with my colleagues and leave the place.

Did you involve the National Youth Service Corps authorities when you got back to your lodge?

Oh yes, we did. Immediately after we were released, we called our LGI, and he said he would come and see us the next day. At that time, I didn’t even know there was video evidence. I never knew that one of us, who was bathing when the raid happened, had made a video from afar before he was eventually arrested. He captured the moment I was beaten, wounded, and stripped naked. We eventually sent the video to the LGI, and he came that night at around 9:20 p.m.

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When he got there and we explained everything to him, he said, “Okay. This is why I said you people should be walking in groups, in case of situations like this.”

I was shocked when he added, “What has happened has happened. Some of you ladies are going to get married to men who beat women. So, this is training for you.”

What is the name of the LGI in question that made such a remark?

His name is Mr Anayo.

What other steps did he take to address the matter?

He invited us to the LG the next day and said the men had been arrested. He asked us to calm down. I told him I wanted to see them behind bars so I would be sure my life was safe. He kept turning me around, and I never got to see any of them. I also stressed that I didn’t just want them arrested; I wanted the case taken to court so they would be punished for what they did. He told me to calm down, that he was handling the matter.

He then made some calls and spoke only in Igbo, so I couldn’t understand what he was saying. After some minutes, he said we could go to Awka to see the men who had been arrested. I requested that we all go with the other corps members who had been arrested, but he said no. After much ado, we managed to go.

When we got to their office, everything was said in Igbo. Nobody spoke English. So, I was cut off from the conversation. If they wanted to talk to me, they would switch to English, but once I replied, they would revert to Igbo.

Did you eventually see those men behind bars?

No, I never saw them in any cell. I was told they couldn’t take me there because kidnappers were being held. But after some time, they brought some men out and asked me to identify those who beat me. I could only identify a few. But I can tell you it was a staged arrest, because the very next day, I saw those same men in the area.

How did this make you feel?

I saw them walking on the street, and I looked at myself with all the injuries I had and breathed in heavily. It was so frustrating. I told my LGI about this new development, but he said he didn’t want to hear anything about it anymore. He told me he had already asked me to forget about it and that it was being handled. He even described the matter as “old issues.”

How many more months do you have to complete service?

I still have until October.

What then are you going to do, knowing that you would still have to go back to the same lodge where this incident happened to complete your National Service?

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Crime

PHOTOS: NDLEA Nabs 80-Year-Old Drug Lord Again, Intercepts Tramadol-Laced Mannequins

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2 hours ago

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January 11, 2026

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Barely three years after he was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for dealing in illicit drugs, an 80-year-old man, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, has again been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for returning to the criminal trade.

Nkanta, described by the agency as a notorious drug dealer, was first arrested by NDLEA operatives on December 14, 2022, and subsequently prosecuted and convicted by a Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he was sentenced to two years in prison.

However, findings revealed that the octogenarian, who appeared unrepentant after serving his jail term, returned to the illicit drug business.

Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, January 10, 2025, tracked him to his residence in Mmanta–Abak village, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

A search of his house led to the recovery of 5.7 kilogrammes of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed within the premises.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the agency also disclosed that its operatives recorded another major breakthrough in Akwa Ibom State with the arrest of a suspected drug trafficker using mannequins to conceal opioids.

Babafemi said NDLEA officers on patrol along the Oron–Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, on Friday, January 9, while he was travelling with full-body mannequins meant for his clothing business in Cameroon.

A thorough search of the mannequins, however, revealed that they were stuffed with 5.3 kilogrammes of tramadol pills.

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According to the suspect, who claimed to reside in Cameroon, he was returning to his base after the Christmas and New Year holidays when he was apprehended.

Investigations further revealed that the drugs were purchased in Onitsha, Anambra State, and were being trafficked to Cameroon for sale using the mannequins as concealment.

In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives carried out coordinated raids across several locations, leading to the arrest of notorious drug dealers and the seizure of large quantities of illicit substances.

Among those arrested was Remi Bamidele, 45, popularly known as Aluko the Mafia, who was apprehended at Sasa area of Ibadan on Thursday, January 8.

Recovered from him were 10.696 kilogrammes of Colorado, Scottish Loud, Ghana Loud, Canadian Loud and skunk, all strains of cannabis. Two vehicles—a Toyota Venza and a Toyota Yaris with registration number HG 06 LYD-were also seized from him.

At the Adegbayi area of Ibadan, NDLEA officers arrested Adeola Toheeb, 27, on Friday, January 9, with various quantities of Colorado, Ghana Loud and skunk.

Similarly, Habeeb Ali, 29, was arrested at Ring Road, Ibadan, with 1.264kg of Colorado, Scottish Loud and skunk, alongside a cash exhibit of ₦1,307,100, recovered at the point of his arrest on Saturday, January 10.

Edo, Niger, Taraba, Adamawa busts

In Edo State, a dispatch rider, Osagbovo Edigin, 30, alongside Ebimi Labo, 28, and Akhimie Success, 25, were arrested on Friday, January 9, at Ihama/Airport Road GRA, Benin City.

The arrests followed the seizure of 118 grammes of Canadian Loud and a wrap of Colorado.

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Also in Edo, Jimoh Agbonmhegbe, 49, was arrested at Irrua with 17.552kg of Colorado, Loud and skunk, while Evelyn Okoyomon, 38, was apprehended at Ubiaja with 930 grammes of skunk on Wednesday, January 7.

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives recovered 4,000 pills of tramadol (225mg) from a 22-year-old suspect, Nazifi Umar, at Dakwa town, Tafa Local Government Area.

Similarly, in Taraba State, Yusuf Usman, 41, was arrested at Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area, with 100 blocks of skunk weighing 47kg.

In Adamawa State, NDLEA officers recovered 30,950 capsules of tramadol from the residence of Ugwoke Chibueze, 40, in Bachure area of Yola South Local Government Area, following his arrest at the Lamido Aliyu Mustapha International Airport, Yola, on Tuesday, January 6.

Babafemi added that the agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across the country in the past week.

These included sensitisation lectures at Government Day Science and Technical College, Babura, Jigawa State; Abiayubal Ansari Islamiyya School, Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State; and among youths of Oshituma Umuogudu Akpu Ngbo in Ebonyi State, among others.

While commending officers and men of the Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Taraba, Edo, Oyo and Niger commands for their efforts, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised their operational successes.

He said their achievements, “especially the balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, are well appreciated.”

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EFCC arraigns Austrian for allegedly failing to declare $800k, €651k at Lagos airport

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2 days ago

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January 9, 2026

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, Jan. 8, arraigned an Austrian national, Kavlak Onal, before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over alleged failure to declare foreign currencies totalling $800,575 and €651,505, equivalent to about N2.28 billion.

Onal was arraigned before Justice Yellim Bogoro on a two-count charge bordering on non-declaration of funds.

The prosecution counsel, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on December 13 during outward clearance at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, en route to Australia.

According to the prosecution, the defendant was arrested by officers of the Anti-Money Laundering Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the airport after he failed to declare the foreign currencies in his possession.

Buhari said the alleged offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.

When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty to both counts.

Following his plea, the prosecution urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) pending trial.

However, defendant counsel, Sterlin Imhemuro, who appeared with Temilehin Olushola, informed the court that a bail application had been filed on behalf of the defendant and served on the prosecution.
He requested that his client be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing and determination of the bail application.

Responding, the prosecutor confirmed receipt of the bail application at about 9:03 a.m and requested a short adjournment to enable her to study the application and file a response.

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After hearing submissions from both parties, Justice Bogoro adjourned the matter to January 16 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the determination of the application.

The charges against the defendant read in part that on December 13, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the court, he failed to declare the sum of $800,575 to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.

The second count alleged that he failed to declare the sum of €651,505 at the same airport on the same date, an offence also contrary to and punishable under the same provision of the Act.

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PHOTOS: Nigerian man sentenced to d3ath in Malaysia for m8rder of his 4-year-old step-grandson

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2 days ago

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January 9, 2026

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A Nigerian man has been sentenced to d3ath after being convicted of m8rdering his four-year-old step-grandson in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

LIB reported that Ibekwe Emeka Augustine threw the child from the third floor of an apartment building on Sunday, November 29, 2020 after he failed to rape his stepdaughter, who is the victim’s mother. Read other reports HERE and HERE

High Court judge K. Muniandy sentenced Ibekwe, 48, to d3ath on Friday, January 9, 2025 after finding him guilty of m8rder, ruling that the prosecution had proven the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

“You are sentenced to death by hanging until you are d3ad. However, you have the right to appeal against the sentence at the Court of Appeal,” the judge said.

Moments before the sentence was passed, Augustine, handcuffed and dressed in a white T-shirt and black trousers, pleaded for leniency.

“I regret everything that happened, and it will not happen again. I remember going swimming and playing football with him. Please have mercy on me. Everything is in your hands,” he said.

Augustine appeared solemn as he was led out of the courtroom. An interpreter was present throughout the proceedings.

He was charged in 2020 with m8rdering the boy between 7.45am and 8.15am at an apartment unit in Setapak on Nov 29, 2020, which carries the d3ath penalty or a jail term between 30 and 40 years upon conviction.

In addition to the m8rder conviction, Augustine was sentenced to one year for one count of attempted suicide, five years for s3xually assaulting his then 25-year-old stepdaughter, five years for attempted m8rder of his son, then aged 7; and 14 years for causing grievous hurt to his wife, then 48, who suffered a broken hip.

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Muniandy ordered that all jail sentences run concurrently, which is 14-years, from Augustine’s arrest on Nov 29, 2020.

“All these inhumane and despicable acts of the accused could have been stopped as the accused’s wife attempted to do so, but the accused persisted even after grievously injuring her.

“The victims were all traumatised by the entire incident and had to run away from the home before anything more dreadful was inflicted on them.

“Then they found the grandchild dead on the ground as he was thrown away mercilessly by the accused, who then attempted suicide.

“Such conduct cannot be excused on the grounds of self-intoxication with drugs or his attempt to end his own life,” he said.

In mitigation, defence counsel Zulkifli Awang argued that his client should be spared the death penalty, saying the murder was not premeditated and that his client was not a hardened criminal incapable of rehabilitation.

“The facts show that his actions were due to schizophrenia and that he was of unsound mind, although the court had ruled that self-intoxication is not a defence.

“But I want to stress that what occurred was due to his insanity, due to drug consumption.

“He has been in remand since his arrest, and he is repentant. Imprisonment would be a more appropriate sentence. It is not necessary to take another life,” he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir urged the court to impose the death penalty, stating that Augustine had admitted to committing the acts due to prolonged consumption of drugs and not schizophrenia.

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“He dangled the child by the leg outside the window before throwing him out, an act witnessed by the boy’s mother.

“He had admitted that it happened because of drugs and not because of schizophrenia, and he heard voices.

“He knew his actions were wrong and apologised,” she said.

The trial began in January 2024 and concluded in December the same year, with testimony from 22 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, who were Augustine himself and consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony.

After the proceedings, Zulkifli said a notice of appeal against the d3ath sentence would be filed.

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