The use of British troops to train Nigerian forces must be reviewed after it emerged soldiers are subjecting women and girls escaping from Boko Haram to “vile abuse”, according to a report published on Thursday.

Nigerian security forces have carried out “systematic patterns of violence and abuse” against the young women and children they claim to have rescued, alleges Amnesty International.

Women told Amnesty they were raped in exchange for food and thousands of people, including children, have starved to death in camps set up by the Nigerian army after they were freed.

But the human rights charity also blames British forces for not doing enough to protect women and girls.

“If it turns out that British troops have been training or supporting any of the units involved in these crimes, a UK investigation must immediately take place and British military training to those units should be suspended” said Oliver Feeley-Sprague, Amnesty UK’s military, security and policing programme director.