Mass Abortion: Panel Resumes Sitting Friday
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Special Independent Investigative Panel investigating alleged human rights violations in the North East insurgency operation has adjourned its sitting to this Friday.
The panel is specifically mandated to investigate the alleged forced mass abortion on pregnant women by the troops of the Nigerian military, Reuters news agency last year.
The report also alleged that the military carried out a massacre of children in the Northeast.
Justice Abdul Aboki, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, who heads the panel, adjourned the sitting of the panel on Thursday because the Nigerian military was absent at the sitting.
Counsel to the military, Abdul Wahab Mohammed, requested the adjustment because the military officials missed their flight.
He promised that by Friday the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor and other witnesses would be present.
Counsel to the National Human Rights Commission Hilary Ogbonna second did not oppose the request.
The special panel was established under the provisions of sections 5 and 6 of the Commission’s Act of 2020 following the three-part report of – Reuters in December 2022 alleging a series of gross violations of international and national human rights laws by the Nigerian Armed Forces and the insurgents (Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists).
