For allegedly r*ping some Internally Displaced Persons in camps in the North-East, three soldiers, two policemen and a prison official have been arrested.
Arrested with the soldiers, policemen, prison official, for the same offence were a member of staff, Borno Ministry of Agriculture and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Borno State.
The officials were accused of involving in s*xual exploitation and abuse of female IDPs.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, disclosed this on Tuesday, in Abuja, adding that if indicted the policemen and other security operatives involved in the alleged crime would be dismissed and prosecuted after investigation.
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Human Rights Watch, had in its report accused camp officials, vigilance groups, soldiers and policemen of engaging in sexual harassment of women and teenagers in IDP camps in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
A few of the victims told Human Rights Watch that they were drugged and raped while 37 were coerced into s*x through false marriage promises, material and financial assistance.
Shocked by the allegations, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the IG and the state governments to carry out a thorough investigation into the alleged incidents.
But responding to questions shortly before the commencement of his monthly conference with senior police officers in Abuja, the IG said the police would liaise with the Army and the Air Force to make their indicted officials available for interrogation.
He said, “
From the findings so far, we have succeeded in our investigation. A number of suspects have been arrested and they include two policemen, three army officers, one prison official; one Air Force officer, an employee of the Borno State Ministry of Agriculture and two members of the Civilian JTF.”
IGP Idris said the force had put in mechanisms, including the deployment of female police officers to IDP camps in order to check recurrence.
