By John Ikani
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the Reuters’ 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.
In the report, the Nigerian military was said to have conducted a secret abortion programme in the country’s north-east, ending at least 10,000 pregnancies among victims of insurgency.
But Lai said the report is a strategy to set the world against Nigeria and cut off the support that is critical to crushing terrorists.
According to him, Reuters made the allegation without 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,” Lai said.
“How do they use interview with 33 women and girls to arrive at the bogus claim of 10,000 abortions?
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.
The Minister 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 queried the basis for the investigation at a time the military is recording successes, decimating the terrorists and rescuing abducted persons.
According to the him, in 2022 alone, the Nigerian military has rescued 11 Chibok girls and 2,018 other persons.
He said 82,645 persons — comprising 16,621 male fighters, 24,638 women and 41,386 children — have surrendered.
Lai said the military has also neutralised 494 terrorists, excluding those killed through airstrikes and infighting.
“Why is this news agency not playing up these positive news but instead chose to give prominence to a phantom abortion story?” he asked.
