Children and Women Raped and Abused in Prison

An Amnesty International investigation has exposed sexual violence against children and women, by security agents and inmates at two high-security prison facilities in Borno State, Nigeria.

The harrowing violations took place at Maiduguri Maximum Security Prison and Giwa Barracks. Tthousands of civilians, including scores of children, are being held following arrests due to claimed links to Boko Haram.

The Amnesty research team visited Maiduguri earlier this month to investigate claims made by inmate Charles Okah – first documented by Sahara Reporters – that children were being abused and unlawfully detained in Maiduguri prison.

Okah alleged that three children detained on death row in Maiduguri were among the many victims of sexual abuse.

“It is not a secret in the prison what is happening with the little boys,” said the detainee, who spoke to Amnesty via a contact to protect his identity.

The source also told Amnesty that it was sometimes possible to hear what was happening, and this confirmed his understanding that sexual assault was occurring.

“Sometimes, you see that a little boy goes into the toilet and immediately, an adult detainee goes after them, and when the boy comes out, you don’t need to be told what has happened to him.”

The Maiduguri Prison former warder, who was also too afraid to meet Amnesty in person, confirmed that he had been aware of sexual abuse of children.

The former warder said: “The condition there [in the prison] is not good for children and it is difficult to stop what is going on with the boys. The only way is for them to be taken out of there. What do you expect when you keep children with grown up men?”