By Matthew Eloyi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has cleared the Nigerian Army of allegations of conducting forced abortions in the North-East but has indicted it for alleged killings of infants and community members in counter-insurgency operations.
This conclusion came from the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter-Insurgency Operations in North-East, a body that worked for nearly two years to investigate the Army’s conduct in the region.
Led by retired Supreme Court Justice Abdu Adoke, the seven-member panel concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support allegations that the Nigerian military had systematically terminated approximately 10,000 pregnancies among Boko Haram captives rescued in the region.
“The panel did not find evidence that the Nigerian Armed Forces committed a systematic secret or policy-bringing abortion in the Northeast to the tune of 10,000 abortions. There was no evidence before the panel to prove that,” said the panel’s Secretary, Hillary Ogbonna.
However, the panel found the Army responsible for other serious violations, notably the killing of infants and civilians in Abisare village, Marite Local Government Area, Borno State, during an operation conducted on June 16, 2016. Witness testimonies, including accounts from survivors and relatives of the deceased, were critical in establishing this conclusion, Ogbonna noted.
Justice Adoke praised the panel’s independence, emphasising that it had conducted a thorough investigation free from government interference.
“It is to the credit of the panel and the secretariat of the human rights commission and the supportive partners that I can proudly assert that an extensive investigation based on justice and fairness has been achieved,” he said.
In response to the findings, NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu announced that the commission would initiate public consultations to discuss the report and ensure that those identified as victims receive compensation.
“The NHRC is committed to ensuring that citizens of the Abisari community identified in the report receive compensation and will continue to work with the military and the Office of the Attorney General to ensure that justice is served. Never again shall these kinds of atrocities go unaddressed,” Ojukwu stated.
The NHRC plans to hold a civil-military forum to discuss the report and outline implementation strategies with relevant stakeholders.
The panel’s report follows an investigative report by Reuters in December 2022, which accused the Nigerian military of systemic forced abortions on women and girls rescued from Boko Haram captivity, an allegation the Army has strongly denied.