An investigative panel established by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has found the Nigerian Army responsible for mass infanticide and killings in the Abisari area of Marte Local Government, Borno State, in 2016.
However, the panel cleared the military of allegations surrounding mass abortions, which were originally reported by a foreign news agency in December 2022.
The panel concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support claims that the Army orchestrated a secret program to abort pregnancies, allegedly involving more than 10,000 pregnancies of women freed from Boko Haram captivity.
The allegations, which had drawn international attention and led to calls for an investigation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, were dismissed after thorough review.
Despite this, the NHRC panel, chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice, Abdu Aboki, determined that the Nigerian Army was responsible for the deaths of children and other civilians in Abisari.
It found that the military was involved in the killings during counter-insurgency operations in the region.
The panel has called for the Nigerian government to provide compensation to the victims’ families and to prosecute the officers involved.
To arrive at its findings, the panel interviewed 199 witnesses.
NHRC Senior Human Rights Adviser, Hilary Ogbonna, reported that the investigation found no evidence to substantiate the abortion claims, but significant evidence of other violations, including infanticide.
