In a country already struggling under the weight of insecurity, lawlessness, and dwindling trust in the justice system, the recent trending video showing a female youth corper in Anambra State being beaten, humiliated, and stripped naked by members of a local vigilante group is yet another disgraceful reminder of how low we have sunk in terms of respect for human dignity. It is not only a slap in the face of law and order but also a dangerous message that those entrusted with the security of communities can themselves become tormentors rather than protectors.
The footage, which has understandably sparked outrage across social media, captures an act so barbaric that it cannot be justified under any circumstance. Here was a young woman, serving her country under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), subjected to dehumanization by individuals who were meant to safeguard her. The vigilante members descended on her like a pack of wolves, stripping her of not only her dignity but also her rights as a Nigerian citizen and a human being.
Without a doubt, the drama that is inherent in the brutalization is an illusion of “community policing” gone wrong. Let us be blunt: vigilante groups across Nigeria often operate with little or no accountability. They are born out of the vacuum left by the failures of the Nigerian Police Force, yet instead of bridging the gap, many have become instruments of abuse. What happened in Anambra is not an isolated incident. Across Nigeria, stories abound of vigilante operatives flogging, detaining, extorting, and sometimes even killing those they accuse of wrongdoing, often without investigation, trial, or evidence.
The Anambra case is particularly outrageous because of the profile of the victim. A youth corper is not just any citizen; she is part of a group of young Nigerians compelled by law to serve the nation for a year under the NYSC scheme. She is in the state not as a stranger but as someone deployed by the federal government to contribute to development. By attacking her, the vigilantes did not just assault an individual; they spat in the face of the Nigerian state itself.
In fact, what the vigilante did is a crime, and not just a “disciplinary act”. Some defenders of vigilante excesses often argue that they serve as deterrence against crime. But in this case, what crime did the young corper commit that warranted such cruelty? Even if she had broken a law or violated a rule, the proper course of action should have been to hand her over to law enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution. Instead, the vigilantes took laws into their hands, becoming judge, jury, and executioner of humiliation.
Their action is nothing short of criminal. It violates multiple provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to dignity of the human person, the right to privacy, and the right to fair hearing. It also breaches the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, since the act of recording, circulating, and trending that degrading video is in itself a cybercrime offense. By stripping and recording the corper, they not only physically assaulted her but also permanently scarred her reputation in the digital space.
In the digital age, humiliation does not die. Once a video is uploaded, it circulates endlessly, reaching thousands and millions of people. The female corper is therefore not only a victim of physical assault but also of a lifelong cybercrime, since her nakedness and degradation are now public property on the internet. The vigilantes may have thought they were “teaching her a lesson,” but what they did was condemn her to a permanent sentence of public shame, something no woman, no human being, should be subjected to.
The perpetrators must therefore be made to face charges not only for assault but also for cybercrime. If the Nigerian authorities are serious about protecting citizens’ digital rights, then this case provides a perfect opportunity to test the provisions of the Cybercrime Act. If young Nigerians are prosecuted every day for online fraud, then those who weaponize the internet to degrade others must equally face the full wrath of the law.
It is disheartening that in many such cases, state authorities often stay silent, sometimes even attempting to downplay the issue or sweep it under the rug. This cannot happen here. The Anambra State Government, the Inspector General of Police, and the NYSC Directorate must speak out and act. Anything less would amount to complicity.
The NYSC, in particular, has a duty of care to every corper. Parents across the nation release their children every year into the hands of the scheme with trust and anxiety. When that trust is betrayed by acts like this, the very essence of national service is undermined. If corps members cannot feel safe in their host communities, then what is the point of deploying them at all?
Nigeria is quick to boast that youths are the “leaders of tomorrow,” yet here is an example of how society treats its young people. The message being passed to Nigerian youths is that their safety and dignity mean nothing, that they can be brutalized by so-called community enforcers with no consequences. If this trend continues, the NYSC will not only lose credibility but also become a scheme of fear and trauma rather than service and nation-building.
In fact, as a call for justice, it is expedient to ask, “What must be done is clear: The answer to the foregoing question cannot be far-fetched, as there are many things to do, particularly in the eyes of the law.
First and foremost, immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators must be carried out. In fact, the identified vigilante members must be arrested without delay. Their prosecution should cover charges of assault, violation of human dignity, and cybercrime for the recording and circulation of the video.
Secondly, there should be compensation for the victim. The female corper deserves more than sympathy. She must be compensated financially and psychologically, including access to therapy, because the trauma of being stripped and recorded will not vanish easily.
Thirdly, reform of vigilante operations in Anambra state must be carried out. In fact, the state government must overhaul its vigilante system. There must be clear codes of conduct, accountability mechanisms, and legal limits. Vigilantes should never be allowed to arrest, flog, or strip anyone under any circumstances.
In fact, Nigerians must refuse to let this be just another trending story. This case should set a precedent that vigilante excesses will no longer be tolerated.
It is not an exaggeration to opine that the trending video of the Anambra vigilante assaulting a female youth corper is not just another sad story. It is a moral test for Nigeria. Will we once again shrug and move on, or will we demand justice that sends a strong signal across the land that the dignity of every citizen is sacred?
We cannot claim to be a nation under law if vigilantes are allowed to mete out jungle justice unchecked. We cannot claim to be a democracy if citizens can be stripped and shamed without due process. And we certainly cannot claim to value our youth if those serving the nation are left unprotected.
The young corper in that video is not just one woman; she represents every Nigerian youth, every daughter, every sister, every future leader. To allow her humiliation to go unpunished would be to declare open season on all of them. The perpetrators must be arrested, prosecuted, and jailed—not only for assault but for cybercrime. Anything less would make us all complicit in this shame.
Until justice is served, Nigeria has no moral right to speak of protecting women, of valuing youth, or of upholding human dignity. Enough is enough.
