Soldiers, Policemen Arrested for ‘Raping, Sexually Exploiting’ Female IDPs

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ibrahim Idris has disclosed that two policemen, three soldiers, one prison official, one official of the Nigerian Air Force, a staff of the Borno State Ministry of Agriculture, and two members of the Civilian JTF, have been arrested for sexually abusing women and girls displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

A report published in Human Rights Watch last October detailed how government officials abused and raped women living at IDP camps in Borno State.

The report documented sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation, of 43 women and girls living in seven internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Four of the victims told Human Rights Watch that they were drugged and raped, while 37 were coerced into sex through false marriage promises and material and financial assistance.

After the release of the report, President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the IG and the affected state governors to investigate the allegations.

Speaking yesterday at the Inspector General of Police Conference in Abuja, Idris said police would liaise with the Nigerian Army and Air Force to make their personnel available for thorough investigation, reported the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Idris said after the investigation, any suspects found guilty of the offence would be dismissed and taken to court for prosecution.

“We are going to conduct a thorough investigation and if anyone is found guilty we will dismiss him then take him to court,” he said.

He said the police had put in place some mechanisms, including the deployment of female police officers to IDPs camp, to checkmate possible future recurrences.