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MAIDUGURI. — United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons has lamented rampant sexual abuse at camps housing thousands of Boko Haram victims in Nigeria.
Chaloka Beyani, the rights envoy, decried the crisis ian his report to the Human Rights Council following his mission to Nigeria, which he embarked on last year.
He said camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) had been targeted during the militancy and while many people had been killed, there had been a surge in the epidemic of exploitation and abuse.
“Camps for internally displaced persons must be places of safety, yet sexual exploitation and sexual violence, including demands for transactional sex to access food and non-food items are commonplace,” Beyani said.
Government last year pledged to probe some of its officials and military personnel allegedly involved in sexual exploitation but no progress has been made.
Beyani said a lack of adequate assistance to internally displaced persons in host communities and camps has exacerbated the risks of human rights violations.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of thousands of displaced persons remained unclear and thousands have been killed by Boko Haram or in the context of the counter-insurgency. “Many others are detained and must be treated according to international standards. Initiatives to identify the missing and dead should be strengthened,” Beyani recommended.
The Boko Haram conflict has killed over 20 000 civilians and displaced 2 million others. Militants are holding thousands hostage.
Last weekend, the Boko Haram released 82 schoolgirls kidnapped in Chibok, northeast in 2014. — CAJ News.
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