Lt.- General Faruk Yahaya, the Chief of Army Staff, has challenged Reuters to provide evidence to back up its allegations of abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, child massacre, and other Sexual and Gender Based Violations leveled against the Nigerian Army.
Speaking before the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East, the COAS dismissed Reuters’ claims as false and accused the media outlet of trying to undermine the successes of the Nigerian Army in the North East.
Referring to the Reuters report, Yahaya pointed out that the military operates under a strict code of conduct and professionalism, and that the allegations of running a secret abortion program and engaging in child massacre are baseless and unfounded. He emphasized that the Nigerian Army is a professional force with a mandate to protect the territorial integrity of the nation and to fight insurgency, and could not have abandoned its noble cause to engage in such activities.
Yahaya also criticized Reuters for adopting a “textbook solution” that does not reflect the reality of the situation in the North East, and called on the media outlet to support the military’s efforts in buying arms to fight the insurgents instead of making unsubstantiated claims. He further dismissed the allegations of soldiers massacring children fathered by Boko Haram as “laughable,” pointing out that it is not the Army’s responsibility to stop the stigma attached to such children.
The COAS emphasized that the Nigerian Army is not a mercenary force, but a professional one that operates under a strict code of conduct and respects human rights. He urged Reuters to provide evidence to support its claims or retract the false allegations, and stressed that the military is committed to its mandate of restoring peace and security in the North East.
In conclusion, the COAS reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to fighting insurgency and protecting the territorial integrity of the nation, and called on all Nigerians to support the military in its efforts to restore peace and security in the North East.