Between August and September 2015 alone, about 410 births were recorded in the Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camps in the Northeast of Nigeria.
Saturday Sun's interactions with some residents of the IDP camps revealed the high rate of sexual activities going on there.
Here is what some of the IDPs said.
16 years old Fati tells her story :
“I lost both parents when they attacked our village in Bama. I was able to run away with my little brother before they packed the other girls and left. We trekked through the bush till we got to Maiduguri.
“I was admitted into the camp a year ago and since I do not have parents, I and my brother were attached to another family in a tent. There are so many girls in the camp and few men. The family I was living with advised me to find a man for myself that will marry me because Boko Haram had killed so many boys. I was only 16 and the competition was too much.
“I later got Sani but I never knew that he had so many women on the line. I refused to have sex with him initially but he threatened that he would leave me for another woman. This was why I started having sex with him. He promised to marry me as soon as we get out of the camp. He was not happy when he discovered that I was pregnant. He simply asked me to get out of his sight and go and find a husband for myself. I thank God for men of NEMA who have assisted us, I wish they will take the baby so that I will have an opportunity to go to school. I am an orphan and do not have anyone to assist me in life.”
The story of 17 years old Zara who became a 70 years old Alhaji's fourth wife.
“I was left with no choice but to marry Alhaji. I was even lucky that he has only three wives. This is not the life I dreamed of, but I pray that when we get back to Adamawa, we will be able to have a normal life. I hope he will allow me to go back to school because I want to become a teacher."
Mohammed, married to four wives shares his own story.
“I am grateful to God that I made it alive. I am married to four wives and would have taken more if my religion accepts it. My greatest concern is three of my daughters who are of age . Men are difficult to come by and the ones in the camp are full of deceit. Once in a while families will come from the city to pick wives for their children but my daughters are not lucky yet. The camp has turned into a brothel and the little girls you see around are all into it. They have lost control and I wish that government will help us to keep them busy. We are simply praying to Allah (God) to help us so that we can return to our various homes.”
Mrs Halima's experience.
“It is bad over here. The elderly men are also guilty of getting our daughters pregnant. In fact, they are worse than the younger ones. Some of them have access to money and normally use it to woo these innocent girls. I can tell you that most of the pregnant women you see around here conceived while in this camp. Rape cases here is also high, it’s just that we prefer not to talk about it. The victims are mostly girls whose parents are not in the camp to protect them."
Fatima, a midwife confirms the stories.
“They are idle so it is natural that most of them seek pleasure among themselves. All we need is counsellors because the rate of pregnancies is very high in most of the camps that I have visited. They even give them condoms free of charge but every month we will get a new case of pregnant woman especially the under aged.”
Source: Saturday Sun
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