Nigeria’s authorities denounced a Reuters report of a mass clandestine abortion scheme as a ‘physique of insults’ towards Nigerians.
The Nigerian authorities has rejected a Reuters information company report revealed final week a couple of secret programme of pressured abortions run by the army within the nation’s northeast, Info Minister Lai Mohammed mentioned.
The Reuters investigation reported that since 2013, a secret army programme has concerned terminating at the very least 10,000 pregnancies amongst ladies and ladies, 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 isn’t a ‘secret, systematic and unlawful abortion programme’ being run by our army within the northeast or anyplace throughout the nation,” Mohammed mentioned 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 mentioned.
Mohammed’s feedback have been the primary by a Nigerian authorities official because the report was revealed final week.
The army has additionally denied finishing up 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 skilled to guard lives,” it mentioned.
“[The] Nigerian army won’t, due to this fact, 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 ladies, 5 well being employees and 9 safety personnel concerned within the alleged programme, and on army paperwork and hospital information “describing or tallying 1000’s of abortion procedures”.
In keeping with Reuters, a lot of the abortions have been carried out with out the girl’s consent and a few have been carried out with out their prior data, by abortion-inducing tablets or injections handed off as medicines to spice up well being or fight illness.
United Nations Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres on Friday known as on Nigerian authorities to analyze the allegations, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric mentioned.
Mohammed didn’t say whether or not there could be such an investigation by authorities.
Nigeria’s defence chief has mentioned the army won’t 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 combat towards armed fighters.
Nigerian army leaders advised Reuters the military has by no means focused kids for killing. They mentioned the reporting within the article by Reuters is an insult to Nigerians and a part of a overseas effort to undermine the nation’s combat towards the fighters.
“We’re pursuing additional info, together with from the Authorities of Nigeria and stakeholders working on this house,” a US State Division spokesperson mentioned by e mail.
“We’re nonetheless reviewing the report and can make choices about subsequent steps thereafter. Our Embassy in Abuja is looking for further info, together with by talking to Nigerian authorities.”
The Reuters report mentioned intentional killings of youngsters have occurred throughout northeast Nigeria, the place the army has been battling armed fighters for 13 years.