The Senate has constituted a committee to investigate allegation of sexual abuse in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the North East geo-political zone of the country.

The seven man ad-hoc committee headed by Chairman, Senate committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru, was asked to investigate the authenticity of a report by Amnesty International that soldiers were sexually violating women in IDP camps in North East.

 The Senate according to a report by  said that the verification of the report was necessary for the assembly to be better informed on what to do.

Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) who drew the attention of the Senate to the report insisted that the report should not be dismissed.

Sani said that he was taken aback that the best the military authorities could do about the report was to issue a one paragraph statement dismissing the report as unfounded.

He said that Amnesty International report is not one to be taken lightly because of its implication for the country in the comity of nations.

Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah called for caution in handling the report.

Na’Allah said that the Senate should recognise that the nature and character of the war going in the north east have not been clearly defined.

The Kebbi South senator noted that while the report should not be wished away on its value, “we should look into the report and find out the veracity or otherwise before we decided what to do.”

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki directed Sani to lay the report for investigation

Saraki said that the issue alleged was beyond just human rights.

*The Nation Newspaper