Six members of the National Youth Service Corps are suing the Anambra State Government for N1 billion in damages because they say they were assaulted and held illegally by members of the state vigilante organization Agunechemba.
According to Saturday PUNCH, the corps members Jennifer Elohor, Greatness Oyeh, Eze Ikenna, Anighoro Godspower, Feyisara Amore, and Chimenum Wonodi filed the lawsuit before the Federal High Court in Awka.
In August, a viral video showed vigilante group members attacking the corps members after breaking into their lodging. Reports said that the gun-wielding guys beat and undressed Elohor, one of the victims.
The vigilantes allegedly called the corps members “yahoo boys,” or internet scammers, and attacked them even though they tried to prove who they were by showing their NYSC identity cards.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Cyrus Onu, filed the complaint and named the Anambra State Government, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, the State Attorney-General, and the vigilante group as the first, second, third, and fourth respondents, in that order.
They want N1 billion in damages for the mental, physical, financial, emotional, and psychic harm they say they experienced during the attack.
In the case FHC/298/2025, the plaintiffs also want the court to say that their arrest, incarceration, torture, and abuse were illegal, unconstitutional, and a violation of their basic rights.
They also want an injunction that forces the respondents to write a public apology that will be printed in at least two national publications and one local newspaper in Anambra State.
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