The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has categorically denied allegations that the Nigerian military carried out forced abortions on women impregnated by Boko Haram insurgents in Northern Nigeria.
The claims, which originated from a February 2022 Reuters report, accused the military of secretly terminating at least 10,000 pregnancies as part of counter-insurgency operations in the northeast.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, General Musa described the allegations as “baseless” and a calculated attempt by certain non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to tarnish the reputation of the Nigerian military.
“I was the theatre commander when this accusation surfaced, and it was deeply upsetting. I realized most of these organizations do not mean well for us,” General Musa stated.
He suggested that such allegations often emerge during periods of military success, aimed at undermining morale and discrediting counter-insurgency efforts. “Whenever we are succeeding, they throw this at us to make us look bad. The question is, what is their intent? Are they unhappy with our success?”
General Musa recalled urging the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, to thoroughly investigate the matter to clear the military’s name. “When this came up, I told General Irabor we should investigate it thoroughly because I was confident nothing like this happened,” he said.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) subsequently launched an independent investigation, spending over a year reviewing evidence with full cooperation from the military. General Musa, who testified before the panel in January 2023, revealed that the findings showed no proof of the alleged forced abortions.
“The NHRC committee investigated this for one and a half years, and I was the first to testify. They had complete access to go wherever they wanted, and their report found no evidence of these claims,” he affirmed.
General Musa called for a public apology from those who made the accusations, adding that the military has engaged the Attorney General to explore possible legal action against the accusers.
“These baseless allegations have caused unnecessary harm to our reputation and morale. Those responsible must be held accountable,” he emphasized.
The Nigerian military has consistently maintained its commitment to human rights and ethical conduct in its operations, vowing to remain focused on defeating insurgency and restoring peace to affected regions.
