The Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has concluded that there is “no evidence” to support claims that the Nigerian military systematically targeted women and children or conducted secret abortions during its operations against Islamist insurgents in the northeast.
This investigation was launched following Reuters reports from December 2022 alleging a secret military program that involved forced abortions and child casualties.
The commission’s findings, based on 18 months of interviews with 199 witnesses, including military officials, former Boko Haram captives, and representatives from local and international aid agencies, dispute the allegations.
The seven-member investigative panel, which included retired Major General Letam Wiwa, conducted detailed interviews with high-ranking military officials such as Chief of Defence Staff Chris Musa and former Army Chief Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya.
This investigation was one of the most thorough conducted by the NHRC in recent years, spanning complex insurgency-affected areas and involving multiple stakeholders in its assessment.
