Despite a denial by the minister of women affairs Senator Aisha Alhassan to the contrary, investigations reveal that female IDPs voluntarily offer camp officials sex in exchange for food and freedom of movement.
A Survey report published by Daily Trust showed that social vices such as prostitution, illicit drug consumption are on the rise in the IDP camps because of the poor living condition of the IDPs.
The poll which was aimed at giving an in-depth look into the living conditions of the IDPs discovered that the deplorable living condition of the IDPs has prompted some of them to offer themselves for basic needs such as female sanitary pad.
This development has inadvertently increased the rate of unwanted pregnancies and transmission of HIV/AIDs.
“There are also rising cases of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDs while some IDPs had fallen prey to unscrupulous members of host communities who take advantage of their plight to force them into early marriages and even kidnap them for child labour”, the report showed.
The report also showed that “85 percent of IDPs in Adamawa and 84 percent in Yobe are facing incidences of discrimination compared to 76 percent in Borno which was linked to ethnic problems that had existed between the northern and southern Borno natives.”
The Chief Executive Officer of NOIPolls, Dr Bell Ihua while presenting the report said 80-90 percent of the IDPs don’t live in the Camp.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Civil Society Organisation Network, Borno state, Amb Ahmed Shehu expressed worry over the increasing cases of prostitution at the camps which may result to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.
“In camps and host communities, women need cash-based assistance to establish livelihoods such as tailoring, processing and selling flour or groundnut oil, milk and among others”, he said.
The breakdown of the report indicated that 190 respondents were drawn from Borno, 128 in Adamawa and 82 in Yobe states.