Iran Press/Africa: In his welcome address during the 2024 Human Rights Day commemoration held at the National Human Rights Commission (NHC) headquarters on Tuesday, Executive Secretary Dr. Tony Ojukwu criticized British news agency Reuters for its lack of cooperation. Ojukwu accused Reuters of hindering efforts by the NHC to uncover the truth about allegations of human rights violations by soldiers against civilians.
"It is no longer news that Reuters, a foreign Media Organizations levelled grave allegations of human rights violations against the Nigerian army, alleging that it has been involved in a secret systematic and illegal abortion program leading to the abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, massacre of children and other forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the course of its operations in the troubled region."
Dr. Tony Ojukwu further disclosed that after a panel was established to probe the allegations, Reuters and several other organizations declined to respond to the panel's invitations. This lack of cooperation, he noted, has impeded efforts to investigate the matter and hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable.
Also addressing the gathering, the Nigeria's Honorable Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi who was represented by Roseline Thatcher, the Director Citizen Rights Department at the Federal Ministry of Justice said "As we commemorate the International Human Rights today, I call on all Nigerians to join us in this noble endeavor."
Commending the National Human Rights Commission for their efforts to investigate the Nigerian military, the Minister of Justice further said "I commend the National Human Rights Commission for establishing a panel to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the three-part Reuters reports against the Nigerian military."
Representing Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, at the event was Brigadier General Denga Konah, the Director of Civil-Military Relations in the Nigerian Army. In his address, General Konah did not mention the allegations of civilian massacres, rape, or the illegal abortions reportedly affecting 10,000 women.
Recently, Amnesty International's 2024 report on human rights abuses in Nigeria revealed that over 10,000 civilians have died in military custody since the Boko Haram insurgency began.
Isa Sunusi, AI Director in Nigeria, announced that the organization has filed a case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, concerning alleged crimes against humanity in the North-east region.
