A workshop on improving human rights compliance in countering violent extremism yesterday in Maiduguri accused the security agencies fighting Boko Haram in the northeast of human rights’ violations.
Participants at the 3-day workshop organised by CLEEN Foundation, alleged raping of internally displaced persons, terrorizing residents, among others.
“I was once a victim of such human rights violations,” Mrs. Falmata Omar, the Director of Women Affairs at the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs, complained.
“At a military checkpoint at Damaturu”, she recalled, “we were told to alight from our vehicle and trek to a point, and we, the female commuters, were told to raise our veils to the point that we would be exposing our nudity, while walking pass the security agents.
“I refused to do so, arguing that it is a violation of my right as a woman to be forced to do so to the point of exposing my nudity; and I told them that women in the northeast, Muslim or Christian, wear veils.
“An argument ensued between me and them; luckily for me, my husband, who is a military man, called me on phone to know my location; I told him; he told me to give the phone to one of the agents on duty; after whatever exchange they had on the phone, the security agents agent allowed me to pass without me doing what he wanted; only God knows the number of women whose rights are violated in even worse ways,” Mrs. Omar observed.
A top official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp in the state, said: “The bedrock of the military is discipline, but the discipline the military is known for is no more in existence. There are untouchables in the military now, and even the topmost officers dare not touch them whatever their misbehaviour; this is why security agents violate human rights and go unpunished.
“Soldiers and other security agents are not paid their due allowances by the authorities who posted then here. You cannot tie a goat at a place without feeding it, it will do whatever it can to feed itself.”
