President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent directive to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the North-East states’ governors to investigate the allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation of women and young girls in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps is in order. This is sequel to allegations raised by Human Rights Watch (HRW) of widespread abuse of some female inmates in the IDPs.
The HRW had alleged in its report that government officials and other authorities in Nigeria have raped and sexually exploited women and girls displaced by the conflict with Boko Haram. The report also said that some of the affected women have been infected with some diseases, including the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), the precursor of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
According to the report, the HRW documented sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation of 43 women and girls living in seven IDPs camps in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
The report also said that four of the victims revealed that they were drugged and raped, while 37 were coerced into sex through false marriage promises, material and financial assistance. Many of those coerced into sex said they were abandoned after they became pregnant.
They also said that they and their children have suffered discrimination, abuse and stigmatization from other camp residents. The report disclosed that women and girls abused by members of the security forces and vigilante groups said that they feel powerless and fear for retaliation if they report the abuse. It also said that in some cases, men used their positions of authority and gifts of desperately-needed food or other items to have sex with women.
It is appropriate that President Buhari has ordered a high-powered investigation into the heinous criminality. Let all those charged with the investigation carry it out diligently. All those involved should be thoroughly investigated and those found culpable should be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the land.
And those found guilty will be severely punished. We, therefore, support the present effort to investigate the unscrupulous elements that give the country and her security forces bad image. The dastardly act by the security personnel and others saddled with the responsibility of securing and caring for the traumatized citizens is a heinous crime against humanity.
To mitigate these abuses, the on-going efforts to return the IDPs to their homes should be accelerated. The IDPs, especially the women and the girls, should be better protected and cared for.
The victims already identified and many others who are yet to be accounted for should immediately be isolated and made to go through a thorough rehabilitation and support programme. Those managing IDPs should open reporting posts dedicated to addressing these abuses and other such vices in the camps. When created, all female inmates should be encouraged to report all cases of sexual abuse and exploitation to the reporting posts for prompt action.
It is interesting that IGP Idris has constituted the police team of investigators and we ask that they discharge the national assignment expeditiously and without any fear or favour. They must realize that the image of the country is at stake.
We urge the affected state governments to work together with the investigators to fish out those behind the criminality.
In addition, we suggest that specially trained female detectives be deployed to the IDPs to man these reporting posts so that further sexual abuse and exploitation of female inmates will be curbed.