N58.79 billion was raised for victims of Boko Haram in the north at the fund-raising dinner for President Goodluck Jonathan’s Victims Support Fund on July 31, 2014 and that is more than enough to take care of the security and welfare of the estimated 3.3 million refugees in the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria. But the SOS reports from the refugees and IDPs camps are shocking. Majority of them sleep on bare floors without mattresses and pillows; no regular supply of safe water and no sanitary facilities. They are suffering horrible indignities worsening the terrible state of their humanitarian emergency.
So, what happened to the N58.79 billion raised for them?
The largest donors included Theophilus Danjuma, $10 million; Aliko Dangote, N1 billion; Jim Ovia, N1 billion; Tony Elumelu, N2.5 billion; Mike Adenuga, N1 billion; Wale Tinubu, N1 billion; Arthur Eze, $5 million; Mohammed Ndimi, $5 million; Kabiru Rabiu, N500 million; Dahiru Mangal N500 million; Folorunsho Alakija, N500 million; a group of oil sector players, N17 billion; bankers N15 billion, telecom sector players N1 billion; state governors, N3.7 billion; and ministers, N50 million.
The shocking report "GRIM TALES OF RAPE, CHILD TRAFFICKING IN DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP," by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (icirnigeria.org), on several cases of rape, child and sex trafficking of under-aged persons in IDP camps has exposed the lack of accountability and irresponsibility of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
These unfortunate stigmatized and traumatized victims of terror who are in urgent need of both physical and mental therapy have been neglected to worsen their nightmares as confirmed by their harrowing experiences.
This is a state of emergency that the federal government must respond to immediately as the heartbreaking report is now making headlines all over the world. And the Turkish Weekly has just reported that the Nigerian government "has set up a committee to investigate claims of abuses against people displaced from their homes in the insurgency-gripped northeastern region".
"The move (committee) was in reaction to an online publication entitled "Grim Tales of Rape, Child Trafficking in IDP camps," Sani Datti, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) charged with the IDP welfares, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Datti said the committee, headed by a senior staff from the secret police, has two weeks to turn in its report.
"Its terms of reference include verification of the allegations as contained in the report," he said.
"It is also expected to interact with all stakeholders, hold town hall meetings in all the camps mentioned in the report, interacting with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, NEMA northeast zonal office, the state emergency management agency, state security services, Red Cross, the army and the police, among others."
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/180026/nigeria-probes-alleged-abuses-against-displaced-people.html
Photo Credits: Premium Times and Elendu Reports.
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