Women and girls flee Boko Haram, only to fall victim to police and soldiers
Lagos — Nigerian soldiers and police officers have raped and sexually abused women and girls fleeing the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday. Forty-three cases of "sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation", were documented in July, HRW said. The women and girls were housed at seven camps in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, where Boko Haram’s seven-year insurgency began. That insurgency has displaced more than 2-million people and killed about 15,000 in Nigeria’s northeast. An army spokesperson declined to comment and referred the matter to the defence ministry. A spokesperson for the department could not be reached by phone and did not respond to a text message. A spokesperson for the Nigerian police could not be reached on his cellphone. The rights group said it was also told of abuse carried out by camp leaders and members of security groups set up to help the military fight the insurgents. Four people told HRW they were drugged a...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.