Nigerian Army Accused Of Brutal Mass Killings In Northeast Communities

Nigerian Army Accused Of Brutal Mass Killings In Northeast Communities

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has implicated the Nigerian Army in mass killings in the North-East, while exonerating it from allegations of forced abortion operations in the region. Following nearly two years of investigation, the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations

in Counter-Insurgency Operations in the North-East, which convened at the NHRC headquarters in Abuja, released its findings on Friday…….CONTINUE READING 

Led by retired Supreme Court Justice Abdu Adoke, the seven-member panel ruled that there was no evidence of forced terminations in approximately 10,000 pregnancies, dismissing claims of systematic, unauthorized abortion practices. However, the panel found the military responsible for both infant and community killings during operations on June 16, 2016, in Abisare village, Marite LGA, Borno.

Panel Secretary Hillary Ogbonna shared that evidence from survivors and witnesses confirmed the findings. Justice Adoke emphasized the independence of the investigation, stating it was conducted without influence from the commission or other governmental bodies.

NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu announced plans for public consultations to ensure the report’s recommendations are implemented, pledging that residents of affected communities will receive compensation and that justice will be pursued in collaboration with military and legal authorities.

In 2022, Reuters reported similar allegations of human rights violations by the Nigerian military, including claims of forced abortions affecting thousands of women and girls rescued from Boko Haram captivity. However, the NHRC panel’s findings dismissed these specific abortion claims due to lack of evidence.