On December 7, news agency Reuters published an alarming investigative report that claimed the Nigerian military had been conducting a secret, systematic and illegal programme in the country’s northeast, which had started in 2013 and had resulted in the forced termination of at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls.

Witnesses had told Reuters that many of the women and girls had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants and that those who resisted were beaten, held at gunpoint or drugged into compliance.

After the report was published, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the allegations.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in an email to Reuters: “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 victimised by Boko Haram [the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād – JAS].” 

He called for a thorough investigation and “immediate remedial actions and accountability measures”.

A US State Department spokesman told Reuters that the Biden administration was “deeply troubled”.

“Our embassy in Abuja is seeking further information, including from the government of Nigeria and stakeholders working in this space. We have encouraged the government of Nigeria to take the allegations seriously and to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.”

The Nigerian government rejected the report. Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the federal government categorically states that there is no “secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme” being run by our military in the northeast or anywhere across the country.

Reactions in the northeast differed. One person described the report as a “blatant lie” and praised the military for its efforts in fighting against the insurgency. Another believed the report had to be true because there was no way “such a reputable international media organisation such as Reuters would publish such a captivating story without in-depth investigation”.

Prominent women and human rights activist, Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, the executive director of the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, was among those who thought the report was not true.

She told RNI that even before the Reuters investigation was published, she had been informed by many human rights agencies, organisations and members of international communities that the report was due to be published shortly.

“When the story finally came out, members of the international communities asked me if the Reuters publication was true or not. I told them that I had lived through this conflict [the insurgency] and that I had taken a human rights approach to peace-building from the start. I have interacted with most of the victims and survivors of the Boko Haram [JAS] conflict, both those who were victims of Boko Haram sexual violence and even those in military detention who had suffered any kind of violation.

“So, I have heard a lot from both the victims and survivors of the conflict, especially women. But no one has ever told me that they had been forced to have an abortion at our military facility here in Borno State.

“I told the international community that I have never heard about forced abortions in the state.”

Allamin said she had then analysed Reuters’ report thoroughly.

“It didn’t make sense to me because in 2013, which was when Reuters said the abortion programme began, it was the hay day of the Boko Haram insurgency when the Nigerian government had declared a state of emergency in the northeast of the country. At that time, anyone who told me about someone organising forced abortions or anything like that would have had to bring evidence to show me he or she was telling the truth.

“I challenge the Nigerian media investigate. The Nigerian military during that time – 2013 – was not the military of today, which has relentlessly fought against the Boko Haram insurgency.

“But even then, in 2013, no one ever told me about forced abortions. I reached out to survivors and our communities’ mobilisers and still no one has validated the Reuter’s report.”

Allamin said she believed the publication was a blatant lie “and a mere fabrication to smear the names of our security operatives and agencies; to demoralise those who have been and still are fighting against the Boko Haram insurgency”.

“I think every Nigerian has a responsibility to rise up not only to show their support for the Nigerian military but also to show that our people have integrity.

“This is something that we would never tolerate and we need to challenge that media organisation [Reuters] to come and prove that the report is accurate and truthful. As far as I’m concerned, I have never heard anything about forced abortions.”

Allamin said the foundation had made a lot of progress by advocating for peace and development.

“It is true that in former times people like us and even the larger community feared the Nigerian military and the Nigerian military was sceptical about us, too. And it must be pointed out that the government also hides certain classified information from us that no one knows or hears about it.

“But the Nigerian military’s approach has completely changed in a positive way in the fight against insurgency. We have seen tremendous improvement in the leadership of the military chiefs and we have seen improvement in strengthening the civil-military relationship. In fact, the Nigerian military now invites us to be part of their events and ceremonies.

“They [the military] even invited me to inspect the Giwa Barracks here in Maiduguri. When we were there we went down to the underground detention centre, which so many people have made a fuss about, and it was completely empty. All the cells are very neat with lights and televisions inside. We also saw male detainees being taught vocational skills. Some were using sewing machines, some were knitting and making caps. Others were doing electrical work and still others were learning to become barbers. They were learning skills that would aid them in the outside world. Honestly, it was very marvellous.”

Allamin said they also visited the women detainees’ facility, where there were only 15 women. Military officers were teaching the detainees’ children in a classroom with chalk boards and markers.

“The children were being taught well in a conducive learning environment. Really, the Nigerian Army are doing well.

“In fact I would advocate that those being rehabilitated in the Operation Safe Corridor should be transferred to Giwa Barracks where there are enough facilities, so that rest of the Boko Haram insurgents who have been pardoned can be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society. I really appreciate the leadership of the Nigerian military, as well as their laudable efforts in the fight against insurgency,” Allamin said.

Aisha Ali Indimi, a gender desk officer at Borno State Ministry of Education, as well as a humanitarian worker and a chairperson at Women in Dialogue, told RNI that there had to have been some of elements of truth in the Reuters report because there was no way “such a reputable international media organisation such as Reuters would publish such a captivating story without in-depth investigation”.

She said: “If this Reuters investigative story is based on facts, then honestly the Nigerian military have not done justice to these women and girls because termination of a pregnancy has a lot of risks and dangers. Any slight mistake in the process could cause a death.

“It is evident that most of these women and girls who were abducted by the insurgents were forcibly married by their captors and fell pregnant. This shows that these women and girls were innocent because they fell pregnant while in a forced marriage and it was not their choice. That’s why when we heard that the Nigerian military had secretly carried out forced terminations of pregnancies of more than 10,000 women and girls in northeastern Nigeria, we became so disturbed.

“Even those women and girls who were used by Boko Haram insurgents to carry out suicide bombings were innocent because the insurgents forced them to wear the bomb or explosive device on their bodies. Since the Boko Haram insurgency started we have never seen women and girls carrying weapons and fighting alongside the insurgents whether in the bushes or inside a town.

“Therefore, these women and girls need special care, affection, comfort, rehabilitation and psycho-social support – not an alleged forced abortion performed by the Nigerian military or any other kind of maltreatment. People should not despise these women and girls because they are victims and they did not choose to be in this situation. The government and the Nigerian military should take care of these rescued women and girls that were forcibly impregnated by the insurgents.

“And, after these pregnant women and girls have given birth to their little babies, it is the responsibility of the government to consult religious leaders such as pastors and imams [Islamic clerics] on how to bring up the children. If the government does this, these children will grow up with affection, love, care and patriotism for their beloved country and they will live a meaningful life that will bring about sustainable national development, not a life of hatred and terrorism. Therefore, I urge the Nigerian government to investigate and find out the truth about this report by Reuters publication to clear the doubt and confusion people now have.”

Yahaya Alhaji Dunoma, an independent legal practitioner and a human rights activist based in Maiduguri told RNI that abortion or termination of pregnancy was not only illegal and unacceptable in Borno State, the northeast or the rest of Nigeria but it was also illegal based on Nigerian law and the constitution.

He said both the Penal Code, which operated in the northern states, and the Criminal Code, which operated in the southern states, criminalised abortion and those who broke the law could be jailed, fined or both. The only time abortion was legal was if the mother’s life was in danger. However, that applied only to the Penal Code. All abortions were regarded as felonies in the Criminal Code without exception.

Dunoma said abortion or termination of pregnancy was regarded as murder in Islam and that any person, whether a medical doctor, health practitioner, herbalist or pharmacist, who performed an abortion or helped someone to miscarry faced the wrath of the law and he or she would be punished.

While the United Nations and other human rights organisations were calling for the allegations in the Reuters report to be investigated, Information Minister Mohammed did not say whether there would be such an investigation by authorities.

However, Nigeria’s defence chief said the military would not investigate the Reuters report, claiming it was false.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO