KEY POINTS
- Rights panel finds no evidence of alleged military abuse.
- Nigerian military officials interviewed deny abuse claims.
- Investigation follows reports of abuse in Boko Haram conflict.
The Nigeria Human Rights Commission said on Friday that it has discovered “no evidence” of the Nigerian military’s covert abortion program or intentional attacks on women and children during its operations against Islamist rebels in the northeast.
Reports of military abuses in the area, where Nigeria has been fighting rebels for 15 years, prompted the panel to launch its probe.
Rights panel finds no proof of secret abortion program
Following three Reuters reports in December 2022 alleging that the Nigerian military was conducting a clandestine, systematic, and unlawful abortion program for women released from rebel captivity, the government-appointed commission began its investigation. The military allegedly targeted children on purpose, according to the reports.
The commission interviewed 199 witnesses, including military personnel, former militants, women who had escaped or been released from Boko Haram captivity, and representatives from both local and foreign aid agencies, according to a report summarising its findings following an 18-month investigation. The panel stressed that it sought to collect various viewpoints, even though some witnesses were nameless.
High-ranking officials participating in the counterinsurgency campaign were interviewed, including former Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, his predecessor General Lucky Irabor, and Chief of Defence Staff Chris Musa. The younger brother of environmental campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was put to death by the military in 1995, retired Major General Letam Wiwa, a former chief of military intelligence, was one of the seven members of the inquiry panel. This particular element draws attention to the panel’s varied backgrounds, which are meant to maintain objectivity.
Commission highlights findings in press conference in Abuja
According to Reuters, at a news conference in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, the commission’s findings declared, “There is no evidence to establish that the Nigerian military conducted a secret abortion program in the northeast, ending pregnancies of thousands of women and girls freed from insurgent captivity.”
The statement released on Friday reaffirmed the Nigerian military’s earlier denial of the allegations in the news agency’s findings. Chief of Defense Staff Musa and military spokesman Edward Buba did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
