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November 8, 2024
The panel held hearings in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.
An independent investigation panel set by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate the allegations that the Nigerian military conducted forced abortions on women impregnated by the Boko Haram terrorists, has exonerated the military of the allegations.
Chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Abdu Aboki, the panel cleared the military of any wrongdoing and innocence of the allegations.
The panel was established on February 8, 2023, following a report by Reuters which alleged that the Nigerian military had forcibly aborted about 10,000 pregnancies between 2013 and 2021 as part of a covert strategy to prevent the birth of children fathered by Boko Haram terrorists in Northern Nigeria.
The Reuters' report had alleged that the military operated a secret, illegal abortion programme and committed atrocities against children in the northeast during anti-insurgency operations.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the panel was set to present its much-anticipated findings today, (Friday).
The NHRC, an independent body appointed by the Nigerian government, formed a special panel in February 2023 to investigate the explosive allegations made in the Reuters report.
The commission’s probe included extensive hearings held in both Abuja, the nation’s capital, and Borno State, a region heavily affected by Islamist insurgency and military operations.
The Reuters investigation, published last year, alleged that the Nigerian military conducted a systematic abortion programme, targeting women who had been impregnated by insurgents, while also engaging in child killings as part of its counter-insurgency campaign.
The panel held hearings in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.
However, the Nigerian military had firmly denied the allegations, describing the allegations as unfounded and malicious.
The military questioned the credibility of the Reuters report, accusing the news agency of attempting to tarnish its reputation, and highlighted its extensive peacekeeping history, including in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where similar allegations had not been made.
During his testimony, former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, dismissed the claims as "shocking and spurious."
He challenged Reuters to provide any military officers who had allegedly testified for the report and offered them immunity if they came forward.
Irabor emphasised that military operations adhered to strict protocols, and no programs existed targeting children of Boko Haram insurgents or their mothers.
He also confirmed that there were no orders, written or verbal, within the military hierarchy to support such actions, affirming that the military operated with professionalism and discipline.
The panel thanked General Irabor for his cooperation and praised the military’s transparency during the investigation.
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