- He said he had received a letter from the state NYSC director on Tuesday, indicating the family’s readiness to take the matter up legally.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has said that the parents of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member recently brutalised in the state were initially unwilling to sue those behind the assault.
Recall that a viral video of the lady being harassed and viciously assaulted by some men of the state vigilante group went viral last week, prompting widespread outrage and condemnation by Nigerians.
Speaking on the incident on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday, Soludo said the victim’s family was initially hesitant in prosecuting the perpetrators.
The governor disclosed that the incident, which occurred on July 23, was swiftly addressed by security operatives who arrested the culprits and provided medical attention to the victim.
The governor said some restitution was made, including compensation for damaged phones belonging to the victim and others.
“The briefing I got was that her phone was damaged. Some others’ phones were damaged in the process, and there was some restitution. She was taken care of medically, and those guys were apprehended, first suspended, and the investigation is ongoing,” Soludo said.
Soludo noted that the victim’s family had initially turned down prosecution “for whatever private considerations” but later changed their mind.
He said he had got a letter from the state NYSC director on Tuesday, indicating the family’s readiness to take the matter up legally.
Soludo condemned the assault, describing the video footage of the incident as “despicable and outrageous.” He stressed that no one deserved such treatment under any circumstance.
“I have four beautiful daughters, and I couldn’t imagine that happening to any of them. Whatever the crime, you arrest and prosecute, but nobody should be brutalised,” he said, adding that the state government would ensure due process of law