By Basit Jamiu
A reputable news platform, Reuters has revealed in its recent publication that the Nigerian Army has forcefully carried out abortion on victims of Boko Haram.
Reuters reported that the Nigerian Army has terminated at least 10,0000 pregnancies in the last 8 years.
The report had named amongst its sources members of the Nigerian Army, victims of Boko Haram, hospital staff, and security officials.
It also stated that over 33 victims were interviewed for the reports.
“Since at least 2013, the Nigerian Army has run a secret, systematic, and illegal abortion programme in the country’s northeast, terminating at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants, according to dozens of witness accounts and documentation reviewed by Reuters,” the report read in part.
The abortions were carried out without the consent of the victims. Details show that there were 12 years old among the victims.
It also alleged that any act of resistance from the victims had resulted in beatings and other violent means.
Since the publication of the report, The Nigerian military has denied it and branded the report as pure wickedness.
Responding to the report, Major General Jimmy Akpor said that the report was untrue.
“It took Reuters 13 solid years to craft an allegation of infanticide against the Nigerian military and the Nigerian nation.
“This shows that a news agency as ‘renowned’ as Reuters is itself complicit in failing in its mandate to draw attention to and inform the public about supposed occurrences that violate not only the laws of armed conflict but also international humanitarian law,” he said.
The major general said of the 24,400 women that were rescued from Boko Haram, thousands of them were pregnant.
He also said a total number of 262 children were born from August to October comprising 150 female and 112 male and no abortion were carried on pregnant women.
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