UN orders Nigerian police officer home for sexual abuse

CAMEROON, Cameroon – The United Nations says it has repatriated a Nigerian police officer for sexually exploiting a woman while working in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Tuesday the mission received a report in April 2017 that the police officer had “an exploitative sexual relationship” with the woman in February and March of that year.

“At the time, the alleged victim had withdrawn her complaint,” Haq said.

But he said U.N. investigators found the allegation was substantiated and the alleged perpetrator had paid off the victim to withdraw the complaint.

Haq said the U.N. ordered Nigeria to pay the cost of sending the police officer home from another peacekeeping mission where he was deployed.

Ongoing allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers have tarnished the U.N.’s reputation.