Despite the denial by the Nigerian security authorities, the United Nations has urged the Federal Government to investigate the report by Reuters of alleged abortions on pregnant women associated with the Boko Haram insurgents by Nigerian soldiers.
Reuters had on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, in a publication, alleged that the Nigerian Army has been running a secret and illegal abortion programme in the northeast since at least 2013.
The report alleged that no fewer than 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants.
The military however denied the report, saying it was false. The military egghead also claimed that the report was an attempt to paint the military and the country in a bad light, stressing soldiers had always upheld the best global ethical standards in their operations.
But, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called on the Federal Government to investigate the allegation of coerced abortions programme executed by the army.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday that the world body was interested in the matter.
The UN, Dujarric said would want Nigeria to investigate and establish the immediate and remote causes of the said programme if true 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.”
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