Experience of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Boko Haram Insurgency and Human Rights Abuse in the Selected IDPs Satellite Camps in Abuja, Nigeria during COVID-19 Lock Down

Despite efforts of Nigerian government to end the attacks of Islamic extremists, the activities of Boko haram insurgency have been spreading like cancer and wildfire. Of particular interest are people who are forced to migrate to refugee camps, satellite camps in the various parts of Nigeria. The standard of living of these people has been marred by lockdown during Corona Virus which impeded their means of livelihood and humanitarian assistance extended to them. This exposes these IDPs to various human rights abuses. This study examined the livelihood strategies of IDPs in selected camps in Abuja during the COVID-19 lockdown; examine incidence of human rights abuse in the selected camps in Abuja during the COVID-19; and determine various intervention agencies through which IDPs express themselves to protect their rights in the selected refugee camps in Abuja. A cross-sectional study, using questionnaire and In-depth interviews revealed that the main source of the livelihood of the respondents in the camps during COVID-19, as reported by majority of the respondents, was from non-governmental organisation with small trading and businesses. In addition, more than half of the IDPs reported the cases of discrimination (53.3%) , sexual abuse (56.7%) and relatively sizable number of the IDPs reported a case of verbal harassment. Actually, most of these IDPs were harassed because of the believed by the security officers that they harboured criminals and prostitutes. Majority of these abuses were from members of community. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and human rights activists intervene whenever IDPs rights have been abused. This study concluded that there is a need for standby security personnel in the IDP satellite camps to monitor and protect these IDPs from all forms of abuse. Government and NGOs should try to lighten the burden of these IDPs by providing welfare packages for them so that they will not make themselves available as the victims of abuse such as raping as they look for their livelihood.