Police express doubt over authenticity of report on abuse of female IDPs

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The Borno State Police Command, has expressed shock over allegations of sexual abuse of girls and women by officials guarding Internally Displaced Persons camps in the state.
In its latest report, the Human Rights Watch, an NGO, alleged that officials guarding IDPs camps in Borno State sexually abuse young girls and women.
Reacting to the report while briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, expressed reservation over the authenticity of the report.
Chukwu said: “We have not received any complain or report from any IDP camp on the issue, so the whole thing is strange to me.
“Since I assumed office few months ago, I have constantly been monitoring situations in the camps; I have never received such report.”
Chukwu stated that the police would investigate the issue to find the truth.
He further said: “We are going to investigate the matter; we are going to get to the root of the matter to ensure justice.
“We are also going to introduce new measures that are only known to us to prevent future re-occurrence of such things if it is true.”
Meanwhile, the Borno State Government had indicated its plans to collaborate with security agencies to investigate the issue.
Governor Kashim Shettima made the announcement when he received members of the National Universities Commission who paid him a courtesy visit in Maiduguri.
Malam Isa Gusau, Special Adviser to Shettima on Communication stated this in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
Gusau said that Shettima intended to write letters to heads of security agencies in the country to post undercover agents to investigate the authenticity of the allegation.