How Hunger is Fueling Sexual Abuse, Exploitation Of Female IDPs In Niger State

How Hunger  is Fueling Sexual Abuse, Exploitation Of Female IDPs In Niger State

AMID shortage of food aid and a worsening hunger crisis in internally displaced persons camps in Niger State, female IDPs in some of the camps have been pushed into the hands of officials who exploit them sexually before providing them with food.

Gambo was just 18 years old when bandits’ attack displaced her family in a remote community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

Now 22 years old, Gambo who was at the time taking refuge in Kuta IDP camp, alleged that an official of the camp, began to show curious generosity to her and her distressed parents who were in desperate need. According to her, the official, whom she identified as Idris Ismail, told them to always approach him with their needs.

“I’m from Kondo* community of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. I spent four years in Kuta IDP camp located in the Kuta Central Primary School.

“There are numerous reasons I and my family left the IDP camp back to our insurgents-ravaged community despite the continued banditry attacks.

“I got impregnated by an official of the camp by name ‘Umar Ismail’ who assured me and my family of support. He said whenever we needed anything, be it food or money, we should ask him. That was how my parents and I got closer to him.

Although the accused official denied impregnating the victim, the Niger State government confirmed to The ICIR that it was, indeed, aware of the case and handling it.

Subject Of Ridicule

After spending four years in Kuta IDP camp, Gambo and her parents returned to their community, already ravaged by bandits. She explained to The ICIR that the family could no longer endure the shame and stigma that followed her pregnancy at the camp.

“After the ugly incident, I became the subject of public discussion. Whenever I stepped out, people pointed fingers at me, discussed me, and I became so ashamed of myself that I began to hide inside the room,” she said.

Gambo further told The ICIR that at the time the incident occurred in 2023, the entire camp population was suffering from severe shortage of food and aid.

She said she was driven into the situation by hunger and hardship, adding that even when her family left the camp in early 2024, the food crisis had not improved.

“At the time this incident happened, the entire IDPs were in serious shortage of food and other aid. It was hunger and hardship that pushed me into it. I didn’t even realise what had happened,” she said.

‘How My Wedding Was Cancelled’

“Despite aborting the pregnancy, my fiancée cancelled our proposed wedding,” Gambo told The ICIR, saying that her she eventually had to abort the pregnancy because the man responsible was not willing to take responsibility, and her parents were not financially capable of supporting her and a baby.

“After a series of discussions with my parents, they all agreed that abortion was the only viable option. My parents and I felt abortion was the only way out.”

“My fiancée was devastated when he found out. He couldn’t understand how such a thing happened when we were preparing to start a life together,” she said.

She said the traditional and religious ceremonies had already been planned and publicised but were cancelled just days before the scheduled dates.

The groom, who had reportedly been fully committed to the relationship, withdrew from the union immediately after confirming the pregnancy was not his.

“He told me he couldn’t go ahead with a marriage built on lies,” Gambo said, as tears rolled down her cheeks, her voice trembling with regret.

She said efforts by elders from both sides to mediate and salvage the situation proved unsuccessful, as her fiancée refused to reconsider.

Now facing public outrage from her community, Gambo expressed regrets, saying: “I know I made a mistake and I’m dealing with the consequences now. This wasn’t how I wanted things to go.”

Gambo’s story is one of many that show the difficult decisions many displaced young women are forced to make due to emotional, social, and economic pressures, especially when male partners refuse to support them and families are struggling.

UNICEF Data On Sexual Abuse

Globally, more than 370 million girls and women currently alive—1 in 8—were raped or sexually assaulted before turning 18, according to a new UNICEF report.

The highest burden is in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 79 million victims (22 per cent), the report indicates.

Other regional figures include 75 million in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (8 per cent), 73 million in Central and Southern Asia (9 per cent), 68 million in Europe and Northern America (14 per cent), 45 million in Latin America and the Caribbean (18 per cent), 29 million in Northern Africa and Western Asia (15 per cent), and 6 million in Oceania (34 per cent).

Globally, the report finds that 1 in 4 girls and 10 per cent of boys have experienced sexual violence. In Nigeria, the crisis is multi-layered. It has Africa’s highest number of child brides, with over 23 million girls and women married before the age of 18—mostly from poor rural areas.

Though a 9 per cent drop in child marriage has been recorded since 2003, and a further 6 per cent decline is expected by 2030, the report postulates that Nigeria’s growing population means the number of child brides will still rise by over 1 million by 2030, and double by 2050.

Nigeria also holds the third largest global burden of child brides (3.3 million), behind India (26.6 million) and Bangladesh (3.9 million). Alarmingly, 43 per cent of Nigerian girls are married before they turn 18, while 18.5 per cent are married before the age of 15.

The report also reveals that 21 per cent of Nigerian girls aged 15–19 have begun childbearing—17 per cent have had their first child, but only 2 per cent of sexually active teenagers in that age group use contraceptives.

It shows that low literacy is strongly linked to higher rates of early pregnancy, with education increasing contraceptive use and awareness of the dangers of early childbirth.

More Accounts Of Sexual Exploitation 

A 30-year-old housewife, Kauna* described what she called coordinated sexual exploitation involving staff and displaced persons.

She told The ICIR that when bandits attacked her community in Shiroro LGA in 2023, she and her husband had nowhere to go and ended up at the IDP camp. However, she said the experience was unpleasant for her and many other women and young girls.

“When I arrived, I met over 500 persons in the camp, familiar and unfamiliar faces. But what stood out was how many of the people I was associating with repeatedly warned me to be careful of some males in the camp because they had made sexual advances towards IDPs,” she recounted.

According to her, the warnings became persistent, and her husband was not comfortable with the situation. This prompted them to quickly secure accommodation outside the camp, although they still relied on the camp’s little food supply for survival.

“I had colleagues in the camp already. When there was any food aid, they informed me, and I and my husband would go and queue up to receive our little portion,” she explained.

Another IDP laments on food shortage in IDP camps. PC: Hamza Ibrahim Abaga

She said this arrangement helped her to avoid the sexual exploitation and advances from camp officials.

“To be honest, the issue of sexual exploitation is going on in the camp; One official was at one time suspended,” she added.

Mother, Daughter Impregnated

Kauna recalled a disturbing incident from 2023 in which a camp official allegedly impregnated both a mother and her daughter.

“The man was suspended from all camp-related activities, but I later started seeing him again after some time,” she said.

‘I sleep on empty stomach, no hope for next day’

Hauwa Askari, an IDP narrating her ordeal said the Kuta camp had become a place of hunger and hopelessness for displaced persons who once had some form of relief.

“I have been in Kuta IDP camp for nine years now. The first few years that I was here we didn’t experience any issue of lack of food and other challenges as the government was paying serious attention to our plight,” Askari said, adding that the situation has changed drastically.

Askari, who lives with her two children and 14 grandchildren, pleaded with authorities to intervene. “Our problem here is lack of food, let the government help us with food,” she said.

“Sometimes we sleep in empty stomach without eating and without hope of getting to eat the following morning or day,” she added in a voice filled with despair.

Sexual Advances Hinder Women Access To Food In Gadima Kogo and Gunu Camps

Mercy, * 21, from Kalu village in Shiroro LGA, revealed how some officials at the Gunu IDP camp exploited displaced women by demanding sex and personal favours before handing out food aid.

“After enduring days of hunger, I personally approached a relief official to request food. But instead of providing help, the official asked for a private conversation.

“He told me, ‘If you want to get your share, we need to talk privately,” she said, adding that when she sought for clarification, the official said: “I’d prefer we get to know each other better before I give you anything…”

Shaken by disbelief and fear, Mercy left without receiving any aid and later discovered her name had been removed from the list of beneficiaries, effectively cutting her off from food supplies.

Hunger occasioned by food shortages has forced some IDPs into menial labour at some artisanal mining sites in Niger State. PC: Hamza Ibrahim Abaga/ICIR

Mercy further told The ICIR that many other women felt pressured to comply with such demands.

She said, “Some women agreed to such demands because they had no other option. They said if they didn’t cooperate, they would continue to go hungry.

Mary’s account further exposes the vulnerability of displaced women and the lack of accountability for those exploiting them.

Similarly, Kande, 23, in Shiroro LGA, shared how displaced women at the Gadima Kogo IDP camp were warned about camp officials making sexual advances in exchange for food.

Kande said: “When I arrived in 2024, other women warned me to be careful,” she said adding that despite the warnings, she experienced advances from a camp official who asked her out.

“When I refused, I found it difficult to get my food rations,” she said. She also described how another official responsible for managing the food list hinted that favours were expected from female IDPs to remain on the list.

Kande recalled, “One man handling the food list told me, ‘If you want your name to remain on the list, you know what to do.’ After refusing to comply, I was removed from the list of beneficiaries.”

N100 Billion Earmarked In Niger 2025 Budget But Hunger Persists

In the 2025 budget presented by the Niger State government, a total of ₦1.558 trillion was allocated under the theme, “Budget of Hope for Sustainability and Food Security.” According to the appropriated figures, aid and grants was allocated ₦100,085,043,797.19.

This includes ₦275,755,250.00 for aid, ₦275,755,250.00 for foreign aid, ₦275,755,250.00 for capital aid, and ₦99,809,288,547.19 for grants.

However, humanitarian conditions across the state have continued to deteriorate. By early 2025, more than 42,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Shiroro, Munya, and Rafi LGAs were living in overcrowded shelters with inadequate food supplies and limited access to healthcare.

The crisis worsened in May 2025 when severe flooding in Mokwa reportedly claimed over 200 lives, displaced thousands, and destroyed homes and farmland.

A primary school in Kuta serves as an IDP camp. PC: Hamza Ibrahim Abaga/ICIR

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of potential funding cuts beginning in April 2025, which could significantly affect subnational humanitarian responses.

Camp Officials Downplay Sexual Abuse Reports, Say Hunger Driving IDPs Away

Alhassan Ibrahim, Administrative Officer of the Kuta IDP camp, has denied allegations of sexual exploitation involving a female IDP and a camp official.

However, the Niger State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed that the incident occurred between 2023 and 2024 and is being investigated.

“We didn’t have any issue like that in this camp,” Ibrahim said in response to The ICIR’s inquiry, adding, “Some people alleged that something like that happened, and people from the state government came to find out, but they didn’t see anything.”

Ibrahim, however, raised concerns over government neglect, revealing that the Kuta camp had gone nearly two years without food or aid from authorities.

“Many IDPs have left the camp to cater for themselves because government aid is no longer forthcoming,” he said, adding, “The aid brought by individual philanthropists was not enough; we used to share just one to two cups of rice or grains per household. Some families have up to eight or nine people.”

Ibrahim said the camp’s population has declined from over 1,000 to just a few hundred as a result of hunger and abandonment, adding, “In previous years, government officials used to come and ask about our needs, but that has stopped.”

Accused Official Denies Sexual Allegation  

Umar Ismail, the accused official at the Kuta IDP camp, denied knowing the woman identified as Gambo or being involved in any misconduct with her.

When contacted, Ismail said, “I deny my involvement in the act and deny knowing the lady.”

Ismail, who is now an ex-official, said: “I worked as an official in Kuta IDP camp for three years before leaving, and during this period, I didn’t have an affair with any woman or lady.”

He added that he left the camp four years ago and now works with the immunisation team in Kuta.

Efforts by The ICIR to get a response from officials at the Gunu IDP camp were unsuccessful as they declined to speak. Similarly, attempts to reach out to officials at Gadima Kogo IDP camp were hindered by their absence, making it difficult to obtain any reaction.

Group Raises Alarm As Over Poor Condition of IDPs in Shiroro 

Chairman of the Coalition of Shiroro Associations (COSA), Usman Ibrahim, has raised alarm over the worsening health crisis among displaced persons in Shiroro, stressing that many face life-threatening conditions without access to proper medical care.

“Medical personnel cannot be able to handle some of their issues. They have to be referred to standard hospitals,” Ibrahim said, warning that the situation is becoming unmanageable.

He noted that when referrals are made, families or individuals often bear the burden. “The responsibility at times [falls on] those individuals who take responsibility, while the government also tries their own best,” he added.

He described the overall condition of displaced persons as “critical and complex,” with food, water, and education also in short supply. However, he insisted that health remains the most urgent need, urging swift government and NGO intervention to prevent avoidable deaths.

Niger govt confirms pregnancy allegation, says matter being investigated

The Niger State Government has confirmed it is aware of a disturbing incident involving an IDP camp official who allegedly impregnated a young lady in one of the camps, stating that relevant authorities were already handling the case.

Director of Media and Strategy at the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Habibu Wushishi, made the disclosure in an interview with The ICIR.

”The government is aware of the incident of this lady. We heard about it, that was 2023–2024, and we even visited the camp, and of course the government is on top of the situation,” he said.

He added that the Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, and Gender-Based Violence units, along with human rights organisations, are handling the matter.

Wushishi, however, defended the state’s support for IDPs, saying food, blankets, and educational materials have been consistently distributed since 2023.

“Even on Friday and Thursday of last week, we went to IDP camps and distributed items,” he said, noting that logistical delays sometimes occur due to funding.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to both IDP welfare and justice for victims of abuse.

 

Note: The names of sources and locations asterisked have been changed for identity protection.

The investigative report was conducted by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).