The Special Independent Investigative Panel of the National Human Rights Commission has visited Yola, the Adamawa State capital, in furtherance of its probe into allegations of forced abortion against the Nigerian military.
The SIIP, headed by retired Justice Abdu Aboki, is investigating allegations contained in a December 2022 report by Reuters, that the Nigerian military was involved in about 10,000 secret, systemic and illegal abortions since 2013 amid the counter-insurgency crusade in the North-East.
The Justice Aboki-led panel had previously visited Yobe and Borno states and questioned 15 military officers. The panel had also interviewed rescued women and hospital officials over their involvement in the allegations.
At panel’s sitting in Yola, the Brigade Commander 28 Task Force, Chibok, Brig. Gen. Meyidi Gurala, dismissed the report linking the Nigerian military to abortion, assaults against women and girls or mass killing of children.
Gurara said the army personnel on counter-insurgency operations in the North-East are core professionals who would never engage in such.
He said, “The Nigerian Army is too professional to be tagged with this kind of claims. Why am I saying so? From the basic training to advanced levels of training, one thing the Nigerian Army hammers on is international humanitarian laws and it does that in conjunction with reputable organisations, such as the ICRC, to ensure that this is entrenched among its men.”
On his part, the Brigade Commander, 23rd Armoured Brigade, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Gambo, who also testified before the panel, said at the height of the insurgency, soldiers had minimal contact with civilians because most communities severely hit by insurgency had their populations dislodged to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. He also denied any programme like ‘Operation No Living thing’. He also denied the allegation that the military killed people in Cow Market in Bama for refusing to hand over their young men to the soldiers on demand.
Also responding to questions from the panel, the Chief Medical Director, Adamawa State Specialist Hospital, Yola, Dr. Wadinga Dauda, and some key officials, at the health facility, claimed not to have witnessed any abuse of classified drugs, such as oxytocin.
However, secretary to the panel, Hilary Ogbonna, speaking during the hearing, said although no conclusions had been reached from the panel’s findings, the panel would do everything within its power to unravel the truth and bring perpetrators to justice.
He said, “We hope that we are able to do all it takes to unravel whatever it is that is contained in the Reuters report. And if there are places where we have found people guilty, the commission will not spare anybody or any efforts to bring those who are responsible to account.
“If there are no findings, the commission will still be making recommendations as to reforms within the military and its operations in order to ensure that we secure and integrate human rights into counter-insurgency operations.”
