No
fewer than 19 young girls have been reportedly raped at four of the
designated resettlement camps established for flood victims in Makurdi,
the Benue State capital.
Vanguard
Newspaper investigations revealed that rape cases have become a daily
occurrence in the four official camps spread across the state capital
for flood victims.
It
was also gathered that perpetrators of the unholy act were young men
who reside in the camps with their victims and some who come from within
the communities where the camps are situated.
From
Wurukum to Saint Catherine and Wadata camps, it was the same sad story.
One of the victims, a girl of 19 who craved anonymity disclosed that
she was raped two days ago at about 10pm by a young man she couldn’t
identify.
She
said: “I just walked back into the camp after I had visited a former
neighbour in town. I got into the camp that evening, while walking
towards the classrooms where we sleep, somebody called my name from a
dark spot.
“I
tried to find out who it was, but before I knew what was happening,
somebody grabbed me from behind and threatened that he would stab me to
death if I shouted. He grabbed me down and raped me.
“I
am not the only one they have done this to, there are so many other
girls; there are over 19 of us that have been raped in the last few
days, but we are all hiding it because of the shame, but if we don’t cry
out we will not get help because we are helpless.”
“And
if we don’t cry out because of the shame, the people behind this evil
acts will continue to torment girls and women in the camps.”
When
contacted, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, for Benue
State, Assistant Suprintendent of Police Ejike Alaribe said the rape
cases have not been brought to the notice of the Police.
Alaribe,
however, assured that the Police would intensify its surveillance
around the camps in the town to stem the unhealthy development.
FG registers 88,740 IDPs in three states
ABUJA—
As President Goodluck Jonathan rounds off the first leg of his
nationwide tours of flood affected states, the National Emergency
Management Agency, NEMA, has confirmed the registration of 88740
Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Adamawa, Benue and Taraba states.
According
to a statement by NEMA and signed by Head, Public Relations, Alhaji
Yushau A. Shuaib, in Abuja, the IDPs were registered by emergency and
rescue workers after the floods that submerged houses and washed away
farmlands.
The
statement said: ”In Adamawa State which was worst hit, emergency
workers recorded 46,030 Internally Displaced Persons in seven affected
local government councils.
“In
Benue State 19505 IDPs were recorded from six affected local government
councils, while in Taraba, the emergency workers registered 23,205 IDPs
in camps that are spread in seven local government councils of the
state.”
Shuaib
noted that NEMA officials had collaborated with major stakeholders,
especially respective State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMAs,
response agencies, Red Cross Society and recognised volunteers in the
establishment and management of the camps where the IDPs were
temporarily accommodated.
He said relief materials had also been provided to the victims.
|
Tuesday 16 October 2012
19 Women Allegedly Raped In Benue IDP's Camps
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