Alleged 10,000 forced abortions: NHRC report saved Nigeria from ICC invitation – Ojukwu

The report of the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violation in Counter-Insurgency Operations in North-East Nigeria, SIIP-North-East, played a crucial role in saving Nigeria from being invited by the International Criminal Court, ICC, to respond to allegations of human rights infractions.

Executive Secretary of the National Human Right Commission, NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, disclosed this on Friday.

The Special Independent Investigative Panel was set up by the NHRC to investigate reports by Reuters, which claimed that the Nigerian military carried out forced abortion on thousands of women in Borno State and other parts of the North-East as part of the war against terrorism.

The Reuters report, published in December 2022, specifically said the Nigerian military’s abortion programme terminated at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants.

The Reuters reports also said the Nigerian military massacred women and children in the North-East.

But the NHRC Special Independent Investigative Panel, while presenting its report on November 8, 2024, said after an extensive investigation, it found “no evidence” that the Nigerian military deliberately attacked women and children or carried out secret abortions in its fight against the Islamist insurgency in the North-East.

“There is no evidence to establish that the Nigerian military conducted a secret abortion programme in the North-East, ending pregnancies of thousands of women and girls freed from insurgent captivity,” the report said.

The NHRC Special Independent Investigative Panel noted that Reuters was invited to appear and explain how it came about its findings in the investigative report on the activities of the Nigerian military in the North-East.

But Reuters failed to appear before the panel.

The Special Independent Investigative Panel noted that Reuters failure to appear before it “raises doubts on the source of the information and credibility of its allegations”.

Speaking while unveiling activities lined up to commemorate the 2024 International Human Rights Day, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Ojukwu noted that the Special Independent Investigative Panel’s report helped to prevent Nigeria’s invitation to the ICC.

“The report in question focused on human rights violations in counter-insurgency operations in the North-East,” Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, observed.

“The NHRC’s investigation and subsequent report demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment to investigating and addressing human rights abuses, thereby avoiding ICC intervention.”

He added, “This development is a significant step towards strengthening human rights protection in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting human rights, with plans to pass the Human Rights Defenders Bill into law.

The bill aims to provide a framework for protecting human rights defenders and promoting a culture of human rights in Nigeria.