IDPs camp in Gombe.
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.
IDPs in northern Nigeria. Photo Credit. Elendu Reports.
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.