Feminist Womanifesto Group, a coalition of over 200 women groups has described the alleged secret abortion programme that terminated thousands of pregnancies among women and girls who were rescued from Boko Haram militants by the Nigerian military as a crime against humanity.
Outraged by the alleged act, the group in a statement signed by its Convener, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, stated that “forced abortion is not only reproductive violence but also a crime against humanity and breaches laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law.”
During a recent meeting with officials of the United Nations, the Nigerian government and development partners at its headquarters in Abuja, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC said it will probe the report. The meeting which focused on Nigeria’s human rights record comes in the wake of allegations against the Nigerian military revealed by a Reuters news agency investigation.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres had earlier urged the Nigerian authorities to investigate allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by its army.
But Nigeria’s military insist that the Reuters report is false. Military Defence Chief, Gen. Lucky Irabor, described the report as ‘spurious allegations’ noting that the military does not intend to investigate the claims.
The women group’s statement titled—WOMANIFESTO CONDEMNS THE ALLEGED FORCED ABORTION OF AT LEAST 10,000 PREGNANCIES AMONG RESCUED WOMEN AND GIRLS WHOM HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED AND RAPED BY ISLAMIST MILITANTS, BOKO HARAM BY THE NIGERIAN MILITARY, reads:
We received with shock, ‘The Abortion Assault” report published by Reuters where it is alleged that the Nigerian military ran a secret mass abortion program in the war against Boko Haram. We condemn this reproductive violence allegedly carried out by the Nigerian Military since at least 2013. These illegal, secret abortions were carried out without the women’s knowledge or consent with many held at gunpoint, drugged or beaten into compliance. We were shocked also that several of the victims were young girls. This is unethical and condemnable.
We are concerned that such barbarity can take place in this country without the government’s knowledge. We call on the Nigerian Government to take responsibility for this dastardly act and take immediate steps to save other young women from being victims of illegal and illegitimate abortion.
Abortion is a restricted reproductive right in Nigeria, carried out to save the life of a woman. Many rescued women and girls had already experienced multiple forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence who are rescued deserve quality medical and psychological health care. To be given abortions forcefully after being rescued allegedly by the Nigerian Military is a human right violation.
Forced abortion is not only reproductive violence but also a crime against humanity and breaches laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law. Although Maj-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, Director of Defence Information at Defence Headquarters called this report blackmail mercenary journalism and denies these allegations of infanticide and crimes against humanity.
Respect for women’s reproductive rights implies that women’s bodily integrity must be protected, and her ability to consent to whatever happens or whatever choices she has to make on her body is critical. Withdrawing such authority from these women is a violation of their fundamental rights.
The report shows that this dignity was trampled upon by the military.
We urge the Nigerian Military and the Nigerian Government by extension to investigate these allegations.
We demand that the government steps into the matter urgently to investigate this matter and punish the culprits.
The affected women and girls have the rights to be protected, but failure to do so shows the government is an accomplice, the theory of command responsibility in international law is clear.
Signed on behalf of Feminist Womanifesto Group
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi
Convener
Tel: (234) 805 595 1858 | Email: abiolaak@yahoo.com
List of WOMANIFESTO Member Organizations
1. 100 Women Lobby Group
2. 9jafeminista
3. Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls
4. Above Whispers Media Foundation
5. Action Aid Nigeria 3
6. ACTS Generation GBV
7. Ade Grange Child Foundation
8. ADEM Community & Human Development Foundation
9. Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF)
10. Advocate for Health and Development Initiative
11. African Women’s Initiative (AWI)
12. Ajegunle Community Project
13. Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation
14. Alliances for Africa (AfA)
15. Aminchi Women Cooperative Society
16. ARDA Development Communication Inc.
17. Arise Nigerian Woman Foundation
18. ATATA Development and Empowerment Foundation (ADEF)
19. Ayisha Osori
20. Ayodeji Fadugba
21. Baobab for Women’s Human Rights
22. BLECCA Foundation
23. Bring Back Our Girls
24. Briskila Emefesi Women Foundation (BEWOF)
25. Cece Yara Foundation
26. Cedar Seed Foundation
27. CEE-HOPE Nigeria
28. Center for Economic Empowerment and Gender Activities (CEEGA)
29. Centre for Alternative Development and Self-Enhancement (CEADESE NG)
30. Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA)
31. Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN)
32. Centre for Peace Education and Community Development
33. Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN)
34. Change Managers International Network
35. Charity Women Spring of Salvation
36. Chedal Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society
37. Child Care and Adult Protection Initiative (CCAPI)
38. Choung-Dung Women Association
39. Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS)
40. Christian Women in Nigerian Politics
41. Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR)
42. Community and Youth Development
43. Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative (CEAPDI)
44. Community Initiative for Healthy and Peaceful Society 4
45. Community Life Project (CLP)
46. Community Rescue Initiative (CRI)
47. Community Women Initiatives
48. Country Associates Network
49. Courageous People Health and Development Initiative (CPHDL)
50. Crestville Development Foundation
51. Daria Media Foundation
52. Development in Practice Gender and Entrepreneurial Initiative (DIPGEI)
53. Dinidari Foundation
54. Dorothy Njemanze Foundation
55. Dream Alive Women and Orphans Support Foundation (DAWOS Foundation)
56. Ebere Ifendu
57. Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives
58. Edo Women’s Development Initiative
59. Education as a Vaccine (EVA)
60. EiE Nigeria
61. Emerge Women Development Initiative
62. Empowerment and Action Research Centre
63. Equality Through Education Foundation (ETEF)
64. Equity Advocates 65. FACICP Disability Plus
66. FAME Foundation
67. Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON)
68. Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN)
69. Federation of Paralegal Network (FEDPAN)
70. Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)
71. Fembridge Development Initiative (FEDI)
72. First Future Leadership
73. First Future Leadership Company/GTE
74. Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition (FACE-PAM)
75. Funke Baruwa
76. Gender Action Awareness Trust
77. Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN)
78. Gender and Development Action (GADA)
79. Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI)
80. Gender Awareness Trust (GAT)
81. Gender Development Initiative
82. Gender Equality Center 83. Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre 5
84. Girl Child Advocacy and Education Initiatives
85. Girl Child Africa 86. Girl Child Education, Care & Rehabilitation
87. Girl Education Rehabilitation and Care (GERAC)
88. Girls Power Initiative (GPI)
89. Global Hope for Women and Children Foundation (GLOHWOC)
90. Global Liberation for Women 91. Green Spring Development Initiative
92. Habiba Dangana (Hadis) Foundation
93. Heal Disability Initiative
94. Health Education and Human Rights Advocacy Initiative
95. Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON)
96. HEIR Women Development
97. Help Initiative for Social Justice & Humanitarian Development
98. Hope for New Life
99. Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD)
100. Inter-Gender Peace Foundation
101. International Action Network on Small Arms – Women Network
102. International Hairstylists, Barber and Body Therapists (IHSTOBAN)
103. International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH)
104. International Women Communication Centre
105. Iyaniwura Children Care Foundation
106. Jamatul Nasir Islam, Women Wing
107. Jana Health Foundation
108. Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC)
109. Justice Development and Peace Mission (JDPM)
110. K/Mashi Gamji Women
111. Kadaria Ahmed
112. Kebetkache Women Development and Resources Centre
113. Kimpact Initiatives
114. Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND)
115. Kungiyar Tallafin Mata Development Initiative
116. League of Queens International Empowerment
117. League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV)
118. Learning Skills Through Skills Acquisition Initiative (LETSAI)
119. Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP)
120. Lift Initiative
121. MBULA Women Association
122. Media & Teens Network
123. Media Concern Initiative
124. Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome
125. More Women in Politics
126. My Future My Voice
127. Nasrul – Lahi-L- Faith Society (NASFAT)
128. National Centre for Women Development
129. National Council of Women Societies (NCWS)
130. NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women
131. Neighbourhood Care-Well Foundation
132. Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria (NRHJN)
133. Next Initiative for Gender Actions (NIGA)
134. NGAS Women Farmers’ Cooperative Society
135. Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ)
136. Nigeria For Women Project
137. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Women Committee
138. Nigeria Union Of Teachers (NUT)
139. Nigerian Express
140. Nigerian Women Politics Forum
141. Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NTWF)
142. Ogayem Merciful Care and Support Initiatives (OMCSI)
143. Ogun Women Alive
144. Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso
145. Olive Community Development Initiatives
146. Onomese Foundation
147. Osi Joe Touching Lives Initiative
148. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Initiative (OLPHI)
149. Ovie Brume Foundation
150. Partners West Africa (PWAN)
151. Peasant Dragnet
152. Princess Hamman-Obels
153. Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI)
154. Project Alert on Violence Against Women
155. Ray of Hope Community Foundation
156. Relief Development Initiative Kaduna
157. Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative
158. She Forum Africa
159. She4She Africa Initiative
160. Shout Global Health
161. Small-scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON) 7
162. South-South Professional Women Association
163. Stand to End Rape (STER)
164. Stephanie Peace Building Development Foundation
165. Support for Needy Children and Women Initiative (SUNCHI)
166. TechHerNG
167. The Access Foundation
168. The Inclusion Project (TIP)
169. The Priceless Jewels Foundation
170. The Woman Today Newspaper (TWT)
171. THR Media – HERFESSIONS INITIATIVE
172. Tonia Bruised But Not Broken Foundation
173. Transformation and Development Center (TDC)
174. Transition Monitoring Group (TMG)
175. Tunde & Friends Foundation (TAFF)
176. UTO Foundation
177. Vision Spring Initiatives (VSI)
178. Voice of Ogun Women (VOW)
179. West African Network for Peace
180. Widows Development Organization (WIDO)
181. Woman-Being Concern Nigeria
182. Women & Youth Awareness Empowerment Network (WOYAEN)
183. Women Advocacy, HIV Prevention and Other Diseases (WAHPOD)
184. Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)
185. Women Aid Collective (WACOL)
186. Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and Health Initiative
187. Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON)
188. Women Education Advocacy and Development Initiatives (WEADI)
189. Women Empowerment and Initiative Development
190. Women Empowerment and Reproductive Health Centre (WERHC)
191. Women Empowerment Education and Peace Building Initiative (WEPBI)
192. Women Environmental Programme
193. Women Farmers Alliance
194. Women for Peace and Gender Equality Initiative (WOPEGEE)
195. Women for Women International
196. Women Foundation Initiative
197. Women Foundation of Nigeria (WFN)
198. Women in Action for Positive Development and Gender Enhancement Center (WAPGADEC)
199. Women Action Organization (WAO) 8
200. Women in Africa Initiative
201. Women in Agriculture
202. Women in Mining
203. Women in Politics Forum
204. Women Information Network (WINET)
205. Women Initiative for Democracy and Empowerment (WIDE)
206. Women Law and Development Initiative (WOLDI)
207. Women Law Development Center of Nigeria (WLDCN)
208. Women League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
209. Women of Vision Development Initiative
210. Women Protection Organization (WOPO)
211. Women Wing of The Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN)
212. Women, Infants and Children Care Initiative (WICCI)
213. Women, Youths and Children Advancement Program
214. Women Optimum Development Foundation (WODEF)
215. Women Right to Education Programme (WREP)
216. Women’s Crisis Centre Owerri
217. Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP)
218. Working Moms Africa
219. Wumi Asubiaro-Dada
220. Yeye Adenike Agnes Shobajo
221. Yiaga Africa
222. Youth Future Savers Initiative
223. Zonta International Club of Lagos
