Four Ex‑Operatives of Anambra Security Outfit Arraigned for Alleged Assault on NYSC Member
Four former operatives of the Anambra State security outfit, Operation Udo‑ga‑achi, have been arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender‑Based Violence Court sitting in Awka over the alleged assault of a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in the state.
The defendants — Emmanuel Samson (29), Jude Obasi (43), Michael Ndudirim (28), and Ezinwanne Nweke (27) — were arraigned alongside others who remain at large.
According to the seven‑count charge filed by the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, the accused persons were alleged to have conspired to commit felony, indecently assaulted, inflicted physical injuries, stripped, and unlawfully intimidated a corps member at Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
According to the charge sheet sighted by Lawyard, indicated that the four defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts when the matter was called.
Upon an application for bail by defence counsel, the Presiding Chief Magistrate, U.E. Onochie, granted bail to the defendants and adjourned the case for further proceedings.
In his ruling, the magistrate stated: “This case is hereby adjourned to January 14, 2026, for a definite hearing.”
Efforts to obtain clarification from the State Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, on why only four of the eight dismissed operatives were arraigned proved unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his phone were not returned.
The alleged assault, which occurred in July 2025, generated widespread public outrage after a viral video showed armed members of Operation Udo‑ga‑achi invading a corps member’s lodge and physically assaulting a female corps member, later identified as Jennifer Elohor.
Following an internal investigation, the Anambra State Government dismissed the eight personnel involved. The Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, described the incident as “unfortunate and unacceptable,” noting that the operatives were immediately handed over to the police for prosecution. He added that the government settled the victim’s medical bills, replaced her damaged belongings, and issued a public apology to her family and the NYSC, stressing that the Soludo administration would not tolerate brutality or unprofessional conduct by security operatives.
