Ex-JTF Theatre Commander Faults Reuters’ Abortion Report, Demands Apology

The immediate past Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) of the Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East, Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa has faulted Reuters’ report on alleged human rights violations by the Nigeria military as a case of mistaken identity of another country.

He further declared that otherwise “there is a motive” and demanded an apology from Reuters to the Nigerian Military.

The former Theatre Commander at the headquarters of JTF also known as Operation Hadin Kai took these positions in Maiduguri, Borno state while testifying before the Special Investigative Panel on the allegations of Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency Operations in North East Nigeria (SIIP North East).

The top military officer, therefore, told the SIIP-NE led by Justice Abdu Aboki (rtd) that Reuters should apologise to the Nigerian military for the allegations of secret, involuntary, and illegal abortions of 10,000 pregnancies involving women and girls, infanticide, and other Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) which he dismissed as fallacious.

The high-ranking military Officer stated that the report is also an indictment of the United Nations system working with the military towards addressing the various issues elicited by insurgency in the North East, saying that of all stakeholders and media organisations only Reuters made the allegations.

According to the Major General, it is illogical for anybody or any institution to associate the Nigeria military with the deliberate killing of civilians because it is rather concerned about saving lives, particularly women and children whom he noted are usually taken to the rear away from the frontline, and subsequently profiled before handing them over to State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for further necessary action.

The erstwhile Theatre Commander said that the military should be commended given the level of sacrifices it has made to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria instead of being maligned. He added that during his time, he lost about 200 troops at Madagali.

He disclosed that since July 2021 over 84 thousand returnees have surrendered to the military saying that the number comprises women, children and men, according to a statement by the NHRC Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed