A group of Nigerian students who were flown back to Nigeria from Egypt claim that they were forced to steal from stores because they were so destitute and that several of the women in their group had experienced sexual harassment.
A female student said that they endured humiliation and were forced to sleep outside.
“We spent all the money we had. We were so hungry and thirsty. They were harassing us sexually. There was no food, no water to drink. It got to a point we picked things from shops and ran away,” she said.
Another female student said in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service that her legs were swelled as a result of spending so much time in buses.
Another male student said that they were forced to pay money in order to urinate.
Due to the ongoing chaos in Sudan, the students were unable to continue their studies there and were forced to leave.
They had gone to Egypt with the intention of going back to Nigeria, but they got stuck at the border for a few days until the Nigerian government flew them back.
The terrifying experience of the returning students has prompted considerable outrage, with many urging for immediate action to be taken to solve the problem.
The Nigerian government has yet to respond to the allegations of sexual harassment and other forms of mistreatment faced by the students.