The Nigerian military is set to sue Reuters over a 2022 report that falsely accused the armed forces of terminating 10,000 pregnancies during counter-insurgency operations in the North East. The report claimed that the Nigerian military ran a covert abortion program targeting women impregnated by insurgents.
General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), announced the decision to pursue legal action after the National Human Rights Commission’s 2024 investigation cleared the military of any wrongdoing. The investigation found no evidence to support the claims made by Reuters.
Musa expressed his frustration with Reuters for not retracting the report or issuing an apology, despite the investigation’s findings. “After one and a half years of investigation, it was found that it was a complete lie. I was expecting Reuters to come in and apologize for it, but they did nothing,” he said.
The CDS also revealed that discussions had been held with Nigeria’s Attorney General regarding the legal steps to take. He made it clear that the Nigerian military would not tolerate attacks on its reputation and the morale of its troops. Musa suggested that such allegations were part of a broader effort to undermine the military’s successes in the fight against terrorism.
