Amnesty International recent reports that Nigerian military were raping female IDPs in camps, using food and non-food items as privilege, has been debunked by IDPs and camp officials, saying there never had been any such case since the camps are opened.
An interview with some female IDPs at Bakassi and Dalori I Camps in Maiduguri revealed that security on camps was by the joint security agents of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, NPF, NSCDC, CJTF, NOA, WAI Brigade and Peace Corp spanning 9 pm to 5 am daily.
“Similarly, food and non-food items were usually distributed to IDPs without the involvement of the military, some IDPs and camps officials said, stressing that “military only come in to provide security or settle disputes during distribution of food or items whenever the matter arises. The military is not involved in distribution. It is the WHO officials that distribute the food themselves.
Speaking with journalists at Dalori I IDPs camp, the camp chairman, Alhaji Bukar Lambari said: “We have about 7000 IDPs in camp and I have never heard or receive any rape case involving any military man”.
Meanwhile, the Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General John Agim, has said that the recent Amnesty International reports against the Nigerian military alleging rape female IDPs were ‘blanket allegations and insinuations’.
He also noted that “for the Military particularly, on gender-based violence, rape is an outright aberration. It is considered grievous and cannot go unpunished”.
Addressing newsmen at the Theater Command Headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole, Agim said: As you have heard and witnessed from the visit to various IDPs camps and have interacted with the stakeholders in the camps that the Nigerian Armed Forces has neither molested, sexually assaulted nor raped any IDP as alleged by Amnesty International recent concocted report. You have also established that soldiers are not deployed inside the IDP camps.
“These reports are, however, blanket allegations and insinuations against the Armed Forces of Nigeria and are rather very ineffective methodologies to address this ill.
