Amnesty International Calls For Investigation Of Alleged Mass Abortion Programme By Nigerian Army In Northeast

Amnesty International Nigeria has called for investigation of Reuters’ report alleging that Nigerian Army runs ” a secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme in the country’s northeast since at least 2013,” published on Wednesday.

According to the report, over 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls who were kidnapped and rapped by Islamic terrorists, have been terminated against the victims will under the programme.

Reacting to the report in a statement on Thursday, the right group charged the Federal Government to promptly, thoroughly and impartially investigate the report; prosecute and ensure appropriate legal and disciplinary sanctions on all those found culpable.

It also asked the Federal Government to give reparations to all victims of forced abortion under the programme.

Amnesty International noted that Nigeria being signatory to the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), is responsible for acts of its agents, including those by the Nigerian Army.

“Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the findings of an investigative report by the Reuters news agency, which reveals that the Nigerian army has carried out secret, systematic and forced abortions terminating at least 10,000 pregnancies of women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants,” Amnesty International said.

“Such forced abortions constitute gender-based violence that may amount to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

However, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on Thursday, denied the report.

“It’s outright nonsense. It’s not true. That is outright nonsense. Their allusion is news to me. It never occurred. I never saw anything like that from Maiduguri down to Maimalamari cantonment where I lived. There is a major hospital for our personnel and their family. I am disappointed to say the least. It is not true,” Irabor said.

“I was informed by the director of defence information about a mail from Reuters requesting an interview with me. And he gave me a letter written by one Alexander making allegations that have now been published by Reuters.

“I simply said he should go back to the person and answer their questions, but I’m not going to dignify such a report.

“You’re saying the military, since 2013, has been engaged in a planned abortion programme. And he said that is part of the government’s design. In that letter, he said that 12,000 abortions have been conducted. But in the published report, we saw ‘at least 10,000’.

“The Armed Forces are peopled by people from 774 local government areas of this country. And there is no single unit or formation where you have only a group of soldiers coming from a particular part of the country.

“So, what will be the interest? Sometimes, the consciousness of the people is what has been transmitted to their consciousness. Perhaps, it might be necessary to interrogate them and see how we can reconscientise our people to know that we are in this together.”