Despite Nigerian security officials’ denials, the United Nations has requested the Federal Government to examine Reuters’ allegation of purported abortions on pregnant women affiliated with Boko Haram terrorists by Nigerian soldiers.
Reuters said in a story on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, that the Nigerian Army has been operating a secret and illegal abortion operation in the northeast since at least 2013.
The study claimed that 10,000 pregnancies had occurred among women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist terrorists.
The military, on the other hand, refuted the allegation, calling it untrue. The military egghead also said that the study was an attempt to cast blame on the military and the country, emphasizing soldiers had always upheld the best global ethical standards in their operations.
However, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the Federal Government to examine the accusation of a coercive abortion program carried out by the army.
The United Nations, according to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, is interested in the subject.
According to Dujarric, the UN would like Nigeria to examine and determine the immediate and remote causes of the alleged program and report back to it.
The Spokesperson said, “The Secretary-General takes note with concern of the allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by the Nigerian Army against women and girls who had already been victimized by Boko Haram.
“We call on the Nigerian authorities to fully investigate these allegations and make sure there’s accountability.”
