UN Secretary-General calls for investigation on Nigeria forced abortions report

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an investigation into allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by the Nigerian army, U.N spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Nigerian Army has run a secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme in the country's northeast since at least 2013.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an investigation into allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by the Nigerian army, U.N spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Nigerian Army has run a secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme in the country's northeast since at least 2013. The programme involved terminating at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls, many of whom had been kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants, according to dozens of witness accounts and documentation reviewed by Reuters.

"The Secretary-General takes note with concern of the allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by the Nigerian Army against women and girls who had already been victimized by Boko Haram," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in an email to Reuters. "The allegations deserve thorough investigation and the application of immediate remedial actions and accountability measures, if necessary."

Dujarric did not specify who should conduct such an investigation or give more details. Nigeria's defence chief said on Thursday the military will not investigate the report, saying it was not true. The Nigerian government has not responded publicly to the story.

Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed could not immediately be reached for comment on the U.N. call for an investigation.

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