Borno government wants detectives in IDP camps

Governor Kashim Shettima has advocated the deployment of undercover detectives in camps across the state, this Follow recent reports about sexual harassment of women in some IDP camps in Borno State,

A statement issued by the Isa Gusau, the governor’s Special Assistant on Media said the state government had written to heads of security agencies to deploy the personnel.

According to the statement, “ the move is to spy on culprits and bring them to book.’’

Gusau said the governor revealed his plan to write letters requesting the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of DSS, the heads of NAPTIP and NDLEA to send undercover detectives to the camps.

He said the governor stated this at a courtesy call by a delegation from the National University Commission on tour ongoing infrastructure at the proposed Borno State University.

He said the governor believed that the deployment of undercover agents would be a permanent measure in addition to the urgent need for investigation of the report by the Human Rights Watch.

‎”Today, as Governor of Borno State, there is no issue that gives me headache like the unfortunate bye-products of IDP camps.

“Our citizens were violently sent out of their houses and communities, it is their fundamental rights to be provided alternative accommodation with their food and health cater for.

“Sadly and very sadly indeed, the IDP camps have become avenues that horrible stories of sexual slavery, prostitution rings, drug peddling and other social vices are emanating from.

“On Monday there was a report by a Human Rights group alleging incidences of sexual abuses by some federal and state workers in some of the IDP camps.

“This is highly condemnable. Apart from investigating these claims and arresting culprits which is absolutely necessary, I am going to write letters to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the DSS, the NDLEA and may be the NAPTIP, requesting all of them to deploy female and male undercover detectives to all our camps to permanently spy on anyone involved in sexual harassment and related crimes.

“I would want these detectives to report their findings to their security establishments and whoever is found wanting should be picked up without notifying me so long as there is verifiable evidence to prosecute him or her,’’ he said.

Gusau said the governor had expressed displeasure in the manner IDPs were treated, noting that he was tired of applying the element of persuasion in handling the issues of IDPs.

He lamented: “the problem with managing the IDP camp is that you are dealing with a population of two or more local government areas in one location.

“You cannot imprison them by restricting or stopping them from leaving the IDP camp in the day time. When a female IDP leaves the camp in the morning, you cannot be in control of where she goes and who she sees.

“If she leaves the camp and returns the following day, she may claim to have visited a family member and little can be done.

“I strongly believe there are cases of sexual harassment but some of the women may be consenting to sexual advances largely due to extreme poverty and loss of value system.

“We have to instill sanity into the IDP camps and I hope we will not end up having human rights activists telling us we cannot deploy undercover detectives into IDP camps due to one form of rights violation or the other.’’

Shettima said desperate situations required desperate measures, noting that sexual harassment of female IDPs was a desperate situation.