UN secretary-general urges Nigeria to analyze mass abortions | United Nations Information | NEWSRUX

The military programme allegedly concerned terminating at the least 10,000 pregnancies amongst girls and women Boko Haram kidnapped.

United Nations Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres referred to as on Nigerian authorities to analyze allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by its military, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has mentioned.

The Reuters information company reported on Wednesday that the Nigerian Military has run a secret, systematic and unlawful abortion programme within the nation’s northeast since at the least 2013.

The programme allegedly concerned terminating at the least 10,000 pregnancies amongst girls and women, a lot of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Boko Haram, in accordance with dozens of witness accounts and documentation reviewed by Reuters.

“The Secretary-Normal takes observe with concern of the allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by the Nigerian Military towards girls and women who had already been victimized by Boko Haram,” Dujarric mentioned in an e-mail to Reuters.

He referred to as for an intensive investigation and “rapid remedial actions and accountability measures,” if such measures have been mandatory.

“We name on the Nigerian authorities to totally examine these allegations and ensure there’s accountability,” Dujarric instructed reporters in a while Friday.

A US State Division spokesperson mentioned the Biden administration was “deeply troubled.”

“Our embassy in Abuja is searching for additional info, together with from the federal government of Nigeria and stakeholders working on this house,” the spokesperson mentioned. “We’ve got inspired the federal government of Nigeria to take the allegations severely and to conduct an intensive and clear investigation, and we’ll proceed to take action.”

Nigeria’s defence chief mentioned on Thursday the navy won’t examine the report, saying it was not true. The Nigerian authorities has not responded publicly to the story.

Reuters reviews that Data Minister Lai Mohammed couldn’t instantly be reached for touch upon the UN name for an investigation.