Amnesty International has accused Nigerian security forces of raping thousands of women and girls who escaped from the brutal rule of Boko Haram insurgents, and killing many people who refused to be moved from territories rescued from the insurgents.
In a new report released Thursday
titled “They betrayed us”, the global rights group reported “how the Nigerian
military and Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF) have separated women from
their husbands and confined them in remote ‘satellite camps’ where they have
been raped, sometimes in exchange for food.”
The JTF is a militia working
alongside the Nigerian military in the campaign against the insurgency in the
Northeastern part of Nigeria.
Amnesty International said it has
collected evidence that thousands of people have starved to death in the camps
in Borno state, north-east Nigeria, since 2015.
“It is absolutely shocking that
people who had already suffered so much under Boko Haram have been condemned to
further horrendous abuse by the Nigerian military,” said Osai Ojigho, Director
of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“Instead of receiving protection
from the authorities, women and girls have been forced to succumb to rape in
order to avoid starvation or hunger.”
According to the group, in some
cases, the abuse appeared to be part of a pattern of persecution of anyone
perceived to have a connection to Boko Haram.
It said women had reported being
beaten and called “Boko Haram wives” by the security officials when they
complained about their treatment.
“As Nigeria’s military recovered
territory from the armed group in 2015, it ordered people living in rural
villages to the satellite camps, in some cases indiscriminately killing those
who remained in their homes. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled or were
forced from these areas.
“The military screened everyone
arriving to the satellite camps, and in some locations detained most men and
boys aged between 14 and 40 as well as women who travelled unaccompanied by
their husbands. The detention of so many men has left women to care for their
families alone.
Rape Of Starving Women, Sexual Exploitation
“Scores of women described how
soldiers and Civilian JTF members have used force and threats to rape women in
satellite camps, including by taking advantage of hunger to coerce women to
become their “girlfriends”, which involved being available for sex on an
ongoing basis.
“Five women told Amnesty
International that they were raped in late 2015 and early 2016 in Bama Hospital
camp as famine-like conditions prevailed.
“Ama (not her real name), 20,
said: ‘They will give you food but in the night they will come back around 5pm
or 6pm and they will tell you to come with them… One [Civilian JTF] man came and
brought food to me. The next day he said I should take water from his place
[and I went]. He then closed the tent door behind me and raped me. He said I
gave you these things, if you want them we have to be husband and wife’.
“Ten others in the same camp said
that they were also coerced into becoming ‘girlfriends’ of security officials
to save themselves from starvation. Most of these women had already lost
children or other relatives due to lack of food, water and healthcare in the
camp. The sexual exploitation continues at an alarming level as women remain
desperate to access sufficient food and livelihood opportunities.
“Women said the sexual
exploitation follows an organized system, with soldiers openly coming into the
camp for sex and Civilian JTF members choosing the “very beautiful” women and
girls to take to the soldiers outside. Women reported they were too afraid to
refuse demands for sex.
“Sex in these highly coercive
circumstances is always rape, even when physical force is not used, and Nigerian
soldiers and Civilian JTF members have been getting away it. They act like they
don’t risk sanction, but the perpetrators and their superiors who have allowed
this to go unchallenged have committed crimes under international law and must
be held to account,” said Mr Ojigho.
Deaths As A Result Of Hunger
According to the statement,
people confined in the satellite camps faced an acute food shortage from early
2015 until mid-2016, when humanitarian assistance was increased.
“At least hundreds, and possibly
thousands, died in Bama Hospital camp alone during this time. Those interviewed
consistently reported that 15 to 30 people died each day from hunger and
sickness during these months. Satellite images, showing how the graveyard
inside the camp expanded quickly during this time, confirm their testimonies.
There were also daily deaths in other satellite camps such as those in Banki
and Dikwa.
“From June 2016, the UN and other
humanitarian agencies scaled up assistance in the satellite camps. Despite this,
many women reported continued barriers to accessing adequate food, exacerbated
by restrictions on their ability to leave the camps.
“A number of women who arrived in
satellite camps in Dikwa town in mid-2017 have not received any food assistance
since they arrived and described ongoing hunger, sickness and deaths within
their camps.
“Yanna (not her real name), who
arrived in Dikwa in late-2017 and lived in Fulatari camp, told Amnesty
International: “People are dying, [always there is a burial, burial, burial. I
was thinking maybe one day it will be my own.”
“Even where government and
international NGOs distribute food, large-scale corruption has prevented many
people from accessing it.
“Confining people to camps
without enough food, despite the fact that those administering the camps knew
the conditions were leading to deaths, violates human rights and international
humanitarian law. Those who allowed this to happen may be guilty of murder,”
said Mr Ojigho.
Women Detained In Giwa Barracks
Amnesty International said its
research further revealed that hundreds of women along with their children have
been held in the notorious Giwa Barracks detention centre since 2015.
“While most have been released,
an unknown number remain in military detention.
“Many of those detained since
2015 had been victims of abductions or forced marriages by Boko Haram and were
detained by the military for being so-called ‘Boko Haram wives’ instead of
being rescued.
“Amnesty International received
five reports about sexual violence in Giwa barracks, while seven women said
they gave birth inside their dirty, overcrowded cells without any medical
assistance. At least 32 babies and children, and five women, have died in
detention since 2016.
“The detention of women and girls
on the basis that they were allegedly married to Boko Haram members is unlawful
under international human rights law and Nigerian law, and is discriminatory,”
said Mr Ojigho.
“Women interviewed often spent months or years
living under the repressive rule of Boko Haram. Some reported being forced into
marriages with Boko Haram members or being flogged when caught breaking the
armed group’s strict rules. Seven said they witnessed the executions of family
members or neighbours after unsuccessful attempts to escape.
“Since 2015, various NGOs and
humanitarian organizations have reported sexual violence and deaths in camps
for internally displaced people in north-east Nigeria. While the authorities
frequently promised to investigate such reports, there has been no tangible
action to address the problem and no one appears to have been brought to
justice. It is not always clear if these investigations were carried out as no
reports have been made public.
“In August 2017, the Acting
President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo established the Presidential Investigation
Panel to review the military’s compliance with its human rights obligations.
Many women testified before the Panel, which submitted its report to President
Muhammadu Buhari in February 2018.
“Now is the time for President
Buhari to demonstrate his frequently expressed commitment to protect the human
rights of displaced people in north-east Nigeria. The only way to end these
horrific violations is by ending the climate of impunity in the region and
ensuring that no one can get away with rape or murder,” said Mr Ojigho.
“The Nigerian authorities must
investigate – or make public their . investigations – on war crimes and
crimes against humanity in the north-east. They must also urgently ensure, with
the support of donor governments, that people living in the satellite camps
receive adequate food, and that those arbitrarily detained in military
detention facilities are released.”
“Amnesty International’s report
is the result of an extensive investigation involving more than 250 interviews
and covers satellite camps established by the military in seven towns in Borno
state, including Bama, Banki, Rann and Dikwa. It also includes interviews with
48 women and girls released from detention and the review of video,
photographic and satellite imagery.”
Amnesty International said it
shared its findings with the Nigerian authorities but, at time of publication,
“no response has been received.”
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