19 women fall victim of rape at flood camp

Rapists have been reported to have invaded the camp where flood victims put up in Makurdi, Benue state capital defiling no fewer than 19 young girls in different settlements. On going investigation revealed that the perpetrators of the act were young men who also reside in the camps along with the victims and other are said to be residents of the communities where the flood victims are said to be taking refuse.

A 19-year old victim who pleaded to be anonymous narrated her ordeal in the hands of a young man she couldn’t identify. According to her, “I just walked back into the camp after I had visited a former neighbour in town. I got into the camp that evening, while walking towards the classrooms where we sleep, somebody called my name from a dark spot. I tried to find out who it was, but before I knew what was happening, somebody grabbed me from behind and threatened that he would stab me to death if I shouted. He grabbed me down and raped me. I am not the only one they have done this to, there are so many other girls; there are over 19 of us that have been raped in the last few days, but we are all hiding it because of the shame, but if we don’t cry out we will not get help because we are helpless. And if we don’t cry out because of the shame, the people behind this evil acts will continue to torment girls and women in the camps.”

However, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, for Benue State, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ejike Alaribe maintained that the rape cases at the flood camps had not been formally reported to the State’s police command yet. But he however, assured that his men would intensify surveillance around the camps to unmask the faces of the rapists and consequently bring them to book.