Federal government has said the Reuter’s report that the Nigerian military ran a secret mass abortion programme in the war against Boko Haram is fake news, disinformation, and a ploy to demoralise and distract the fighting forces.
The federal government stressed that allegations against the Nigerian Army without evidence are dangerous.
The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed the government’s position on the report on Monday in Abuja yesterday at the 10th edition of the (PMB) Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023).
The PMB administration Scorecard Series was launched in October as part of an overall programme to showcase and document the numerous achievements of the Buhari Administration.
LEADERSHIP reports that Reuters after interviewing 33 women and girls claimed that 10,000 such abortions have been carried out from 2013 to date on women and girls.
Mohammed said the news agency made the grave allegation without a scintilla of evidence, citing only anonymous sources and the reported review of phantom ‘documents’.
“The agency claimed that its investigation was based on interviews with 33 women and girls.
“How do they use interviews with 33 women and girls to arrive at the bogus claim of 10,000 abortions?” he queried.
“And in a further indication that the figure of abortions quoted was arbitrary or possibly conjured, the agency first put the figure at 12,000 before settling for 10,000,” he said.
Mohammed reiterated the federal government’s position that there was no ‘secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme’ being run by the military in the Northeast or anywhere across the country.
He also queried the basis for the so-called investigation at a time the military had been recording successes in decimating the terrorists and rescuing abducted persons.
“The federal government hereby categorically states that there is no ‘secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme’ being run by our military in the North East or anywhere across the country. We also hereby reject the accusation of running an abortion programme levelled against our military.
“For the record, the Nigerian military has rescued 11 Chibok girls with all their children; 2,018 other persons comprising 339 adult males, 660 adult females and 1019 children), while 82,645 persons; comprising 16,621 male fighters, 24,638 women and 41,386 children, have surrendered. The military has also neutralized 494 terrorists (note that this does not include terrorists neutralised through airstrikes and terrorists’ infighting).
“Why is this news agency not playing up this positive news but instead, they choose to give prominence to a phantom abortion story? Is this a ploy to demoralise and distract our fighting forces? Is it a strategy to set the world against Nigeria and cut off the support that is critical to crushing terrorists?” he asked.
He added that only the news agency can answer these questions.
“But we stand by our military, which has served meritoriously at home and at regional and global peacekeeping operations from 1960 to date. We know that military operations in the Northeast are not arbitrary but based on the military’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Rules of Engagement (ROE), among others. Where any proven infraction or criminal act has been committed by any soldier, the law has always taken its course. But it is beyond the pale and downright dangerous to accuse a nation’s military, without any verifiable evidence, of massive illegal abortions and infanticide,” he added.
