ABUJA, Nov 7 – Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is set to release its findings on Friday from an investigation into allegations of a secret, systematic, and illegal abortion program run by the Nigerian military. The investigation was launched in response to reports published by Reuters in 2022.
The NHRC established a special panel to probe the claims, conducting hearings in Abuja and Borno State. The military has vehemently denied the allegations.
While the specific conclusions of the NHRC report remain undisclosed, the findings are highly anticipated, particularly given the military’s history of human rights abuses. The NHRC, though appointed by the government, has occasionally issued critical reports against the authorities.
In 2020, for instance, the commission played a crucial role in the nationwide protests that led to the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious police unit implicated in numerous cases of extrajudicial killings and abuse.
However, the NHRC has also faced criticism for its perceived failure to hold the government accountable. Some activists argue that the commission has been ineffective in securing prosecutions for high-ranking officials accused of human rights violations.
The Reuters reports detailed harrowing accounts of the military’s alleged abortion program, which involved the termination of thousands of pregnancies among women and girls, many of whom were victims of kidnapping and rape by Islamist militants. Additionally, the news agency reported that the military had killed children during counterinsurgency operations in the northeast.
The region has been plagued by a decade-long insurgency waged by Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The conflict has led to the displacement of millions, mass killings, and widespread human rights abuses.
