The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi has constituted a high powered investigative panel to look into allegations of rape and child trafficking in some internally displaced persons’ camps in the Northeast.
These allegations were rife in some sections of the media recently.
A statement issued by NEMA Senior Information Officer, Sani Datti,said the panel, which is expected to complete its investigations within two weeks, was charged to make verification of allegations by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, interact with all stakeholders and carry out town hall meetings in all the camps mentioned in the allegation.
The panel is also expected to interact with University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, North East Zonal Office of NEMA and state emergency management agency in the affected states, Department of State Services (DSS), The Red Cross, Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police.
Members will also dialogue with IDPs and their leaders in the camps and other international players.
In the event that the allegations are true, the panel will determine if there is any culpability on the part of government agencies and do any other thing, which in the opinion of the committee will facilitate the accomplishment of its assignment.
Membership of the committee was drawn from DSS, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Office of National Security Adviser, National Human Rights Commission, and National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic In Persons, Journalists Against Disaster Initiative and NEMA.
Others include Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, International Organisation for Migration, SEMA Borno, SEMA Gombe and SEMA Adamawa.
Sani sidi urged the committee to work in a transparent and honest manner.
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