We Were Actually Raped and Forced to Deny It By Soldiers

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By Nwafor Sunday

The Internally Displaced Persons in Borno have said that the statements made by the Amnesty International on rape, abuse and violation of women’s right in camps were true.

This was contained in statement issued via tweeter on Monday by a group called Knifar, a movement of displaced women from northeast Nigeria, who campaign for justice. The group is led by Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, a rights activist.

According to the group, IDP women were forced by Nigerian Soldiers to deny being raped and abused by them.

Newsmen had gathered on Sunday from some women in the camp that Amnesty International report on alleged rape and human right abuses against them by the military are lies.

Recall that in a separate interview with some IDP women like Aisha Bukar, an IDP in Bakassi camp, Mabruka Dibal, IDP from Gwoza and Falmata Bukar, the Women’s leader in Dalori IDPs camp agreed that the military had been very supportive by providing protection and ensuring that everyone was safe.

“I think they are trying to divert attention of fighting troops. Nobody is raping us. We have been protected for over four years. You can go around and ask anybody.

“We are IDPs from Bama and I can assure you that nothing of such has ever occurred in the camp in the last four years.

“We have had some cases but mostly they were between our IDPs. Those who were found wanting of taking advantage of the female IDPs were arrested and punished” they said in separate interviews.

But on Knifar tweeter handle, the group alleged that IDP women were coerced to deny AI report.

The group however is calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to send an independent investigative panel to find out the true situation of things in the camp.

The statement reads thus:

“The military came to Dalori with journalists to ask us displaced women if we were raped. Before the visit, the women were told to say everything is fine, that there are no issues. Is this the way our complaints are handled?

“One of our members was there. She has a 18 month old son, fathered by a soldier. Too scared and intimidated to speak, she said nothing. No one spoke. Why are we forced to be exposed in such a way?

“It happened to us. It is real. And we formed our group to allow women to get accountability. We have said it before. We are ready to speak but we cannot imagine this is the way to do this.

“We are pleading again with @NGRPresident to hear our cries and investigate the soldiers who raped us when we were in Bama. Our children died because there was not enough food. Unless we had sex with soldiers.

“We have said it before: we are ready to speak to any investigation team the @NGRPresident sends to us. We only ask it will not be led by soldiers as they are also the ones who abused our women.”

1. The military came to Dalori with journalists to ask us displaced women if we were raped. Before the visit, the women were told to say everything is fine, that there are no issues. Is this the way our complaints are handled? #IDP https://t.co/ReWxntuPhg