The West African Bar Association (WABA) has strongly condemned the brutal assault of a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in Anambra State and the inhumane treatment of minors by a pastor in Rivers State.
In a statement signed by Mr. Adesina Adegbite, Secretary of WABA, the regional body described both incidents captured in viral videos as “abhorrent, cowardly and deeply distressing,” warning that such acts not only violate human rights but also threaten the values of justice and national service.
The Corps member, identified as Ms. Jennifer Elobor, was reportedly stripped and viciously beaten by armed thugs believed to be operatives of a vigilante group in Anambra State. WABA said the attack was “an affront to the ideals of equity, justice, and national service which the NYSC was created to uphold.”
In a similar incident, a disturbing video from Rivers State showed children, some between the ages of one and six, being battered, stripped naked, and thrown around by Pastor Ifediorah Onyeibor Joseph and his accomplices during what he described as a “three-day spiritual cleansing.” WABA said the treatment of the children amounted to “a gross violation of the Child Rights Act and a betrayal of our collective responsibility to protect the most vulnerable.”
While commending the swift arrests made by the Anambra and Rivers State Police Commands, WABA demanded diligent prosecution of all the perpetrators. The association also called on the Anambra State Government, the Nigeria Police Force, the NYSC Directorate, and the National Human Rights Commission to conduct urgent and transparent investigations into the Anambra case.
WABA further demanded:
- Stronger protective mechanisms for Corps members nationwide.
- Full enforcement of the Child Rights Act without exception.
- Dismantling of any spiritual or institutional structures that enable child abuse.
“Violence against women and children has no place in a lawful and civilized society,” WABA declared, stressing that silence and inaction in such cases amount to complicity.
The association pledged to monitor both cases closely and vowed to escalate them through regional and international advocacy if justice is not served.