Widespread Sexual Violence Plagues Nigeria’s Displaced Women and Girls in IDP Camps —Global Rights

By Angel Ike

Human rights advocates are calling for urgent reforms and greater protection in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Nigeria.

The call is sequel to a new investigative report that revealed a grim epidemic of sexual violence against women and girls living in Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons camps.

They said IDP camps, despite being established as havens for families fleeing insurgency and conflict, many camps across Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and the FCT have instead become sites of daily exploitation.

According to fieldwork by Global Rights during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2025, survivors recount being coerced into sex in exchange for food, water, and shelter, often by officials and aid workers assigned to protect them.

The abuse, largely unreported due to fear and stigma, reflects systemic neglect and impunity.

The Global Rights called for revitalisation of the IDP camps, declaring that displacement must never mean danger.