SW News: A Reuters investigative report has revealed that the Nigerian military performed at least 10,000 abortions since 2013 on women and girls who were abducted and raped by Islamist insurgents. The report says that those who resisted were physically assaulted or drugged to make them agree to the procedure.

The Reuters report was based on interviews with dozens of witnesses. Most of the abortions were performed without the consent of the women and girls. The pregnancies were in the range of a few weeks to eight months. The victims were as young as 12 years.

As many as 33 survivors recounted the ordeal they went through when they were detained by the military after being rescued from the insurgents. They said that except for one all the others did not agree to the procedure. Reuters also spoke to five healthcare workers and nine security personnel who were involved in the abortion program.

The victims were often detained for several days or weeks. They were often told that their health was in a perilous stage as they were in the bush for long. The military then gave them pills and injections to abort the fetus after making them believe that they were medicines. If anyone resisted, they were tied up and forcibly given pills or injection. The report also quotes witnesses as saying some of the abortions resulted in the death of women and girls.

It is unclear who exactly is the brain behind this heinous program. On the other hand, the military has denied the existence of such an initiative. The military said the allegation was part of an effort to vilify their fight against insurgency. Major General Christopher Musa who leads the counterinsurgency campaign in the northeast told Reuters that mass abortions do not take place in Nigeria. “Everybody respects life. We respect families. We respect women and children. We respect every living soul,” he said.