Women in IDP camps are asked to provide sex before they are given food for their children

SOCIO-cultural group the Plateau Youth G-17 Peace and Progress Forum (PY17PPF) has alleged that women in Nigerian internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camps face molestation and sexual harassment before they can access daily meals for their children.

 

Nigeria currently has the highest number of IDPs in the world with about 1.7m living in camps dotted around the country, mainly as a result of the Boko Haram crisis. However, the situation has worsened over the last three years due to the menace of Fulani cattle herdsmen who have been on the rampage across Nigeria's Middle Belt, forcing many villagers to flee their farming communities.

 

Five months after over 200 persons died during an attack on some communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Saying that the situation in IDP camps is dire, the PY17PPF called on the federal government to urgency fulfil its promises to the people.

 

Dachung Bagos, the PY17PPF convener and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Jos East/Jos South Federal Constituency in the 2019 elections, said: “It is on record that Plateau State has well over 20,000 people, mostly children and women, in the IDP camps. The living conditions of the IDPs are horrible and continue to deteriorate by the day due to negligence and disregard by the government.

 

“Reliable information has it that women are being molested and sexually harassed in the camp before they can access daily meals for their children. Most of the children are now out of school with little or no hope of any form of education.

 

“Rural agriculture has been severely disrupted as farmlands are being destroyed and harvest is low within the axis because many can no longer go to their farms for fear of being attacked or killed by herdsmen. These citizens have lost everything and now live on handouts in IDP camps, so both the federal and Plateau State governments should be held accountable and should be reminded of their pledge and promises towards assisting these IDPs by rehabilitating, reintegrating and relocating them back to their ancestral homes before the end of 2018.”

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