(SINL NIGERIA) The Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in counter -insurgency operations in North East Nigeria (SIIP North East) has said after eighteen months of investigation, the panel did not find the Nigerian Military culpable of 10,000 abortions as alleged by Reuters.
Similarly, the panel while presenting its report on Friday in Abuja noted that there was no evidence of poison as alluded by the Reuters report.
Additionally, the findings of the panel did not show any evidence that the military declared war on women.
Hillary Ogbonna, Secretary of the panel, presented the final report of the panel to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the general public.
Ogbonna said the panel sat for 18 months and interacted with 199 witnesses, “we could not get data from military medical institutions” he said.
Recall, in December 2022, Reuters reported allegations of gross human rights violations against the Nigerian Military.
Specifically, Reuters alleged that the military committed 10,000 forced abortions on women, including torture, rape, extra-judicial killings, among others.
But in the findings of the panel, it absolved the military of the allegations by Reuters, saying
the allegations levelled against the military were false.
Earlier, the chairman of the investigative panel, Justice Abdu Aboki (rtd) applauded the Commission for setting up the panel.
He said the panel sat in the three northeast states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
He noted that the panel worked without any form of interference from the NHRC or any other government agency in the country.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Tony Ojukwu shortly after receiving the report applauded the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, the Attorney Generals of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, the UN High Commission for Refugees, Norwegian Embassy, Canadian Embassy, Nigerian Air Force and US Embassy.
Others include, Defence Headquarters, management and staff of NHRC and the media for their contributions and sacrifices.
He said the panel was set up in accordance with Section 5 and 6 of the NHRC Act 2010, as amended.
