Nigeria’s authorities denounced a Reuters report of a mass clandestine abortion scheme as a ‘physique of insults’ in opposition to Nigerians.
The Nigerian authorities has rejected a Reuters information company report revealed final week a couple of secret programme of forced abortions run by the army within the nation’s northeast, Data Minister Lai Mohammed stated.
The Reuters investigation reported that since 2013, a secret army programme has concerned terminating at the least 10,000 pregnancies amongst ladies and women, lots of whom had been kidnapped and raped by members of the Boko Haram group.
The sources included dozens of witness accounts and documentation reviewed by Reuters.
“The Federal Authorities hereby categorically states that there is no such thing as a ‘secret, systematic and unlawful abortion programme’ being run by our army within the northeast or anyplace throughout the nation,” Mohammed stated in opening remarks at a public occasion in Abuja on Monday.
“We additionally hereby reject the accusation of operating an abortion programme levelled at our army,” he stated.
Mohammed’s feedback had been the primary by a Nigerian authorities official because the report was revealed final week.
The army has additionally denied carrying out abortions, and denounced the report as “a physique of insults on the Nigerian peoples and tradition”.
“Nigerian army personnel have been raised, bred and additional educated to guard lives,” it stated.
“[The] Nigerian army is not going to, subsequently, ponder such evil of operating a scientific and unlawful abortion programme anyplace and anytime, and absolutely not on our personal soil.”
The report was primarily based on witness accounts from 33 ladies and women, 5 well being staff and 9 safety personnel concerned within the alleged programme, and on army paperwork and hospital data “describing or tallying hundreds of abortion procedures”.
In keeping with Reuters, a lot of the abortions had been carried out with out the lady’s consent and a few had been performed with out their prior data, via abortion-inducing drugs or injections handed off as drugs to spice up well being or fight illness.
United Nations Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres on Friday referred to as on Nigerian authorities to research the allegations, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated.
Mohammed didn’t say whether or not there could be such an investigation by authorities.
Nigeria’s defence chief has stated the army is not going to examine the Reuters report, saying it was not true.
US ‘troubled’ by killing of youngsters
Individually, the US Division of State says it’s “deeply troubled” by a Reuters report that the Nigerian military killed kids in its battle in opposition to armed fighters.
Nigerian army leaders informed Reuters the military has by no means focused kids for killing. They stated the reporting within the article by Reuters is an insult to Nigerians and a part of a international effort to undermine the nation’s battle in opposition to the fighters.
“We’re pursuing additional data, together with from the Authorities of Nigeria and stakeholders working on this house,” a US State Division spokesperson stated by electronic mail.
“We’re nonetheless reviewing the report and can make selections about subsequent steps thereafter. Our Embassy in Abuja is searching for extra data, together with by chatting with Nigerian authorities.”
The Reuters report stated intentional killings of youngsters have occurred throughout northeast Nigeria, the place the army has been battling armed fighters for 13 years.
