Reuters absconds from hearing on abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, massacre of children, ors; NHRC kicks
As Marie Stopes denies involvement in abortions of pregnancies
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National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned international media organization, Reuters, over its failure to attend the hearing session of the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East on Friday, March 24.
Reuters had been invited to the panel by the Secretary, Mr. Hilary Ogbonna, to substantiate its allegations of abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, massacre of children, and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence against the Nigerian military in its counter-insurgency operations in the North East by the Human Rights body.
According to NHRC, in a statement obtained by News Band, Reuters refused to appear before the panel only to suddenly appear unannounced.
The National Human Rights Commission expressed concern about the curious manner in which the lawyer came to the panel, having earlier declined to appear.
The Commission, therefore held the view that Reuters’ behavior suggests foul play because when a member of the secretariat of the panel asked him to wait in the waiting room, as the panel cannot have both Reuters and the Army in the hall while the cross-examination of the top military official is going on, Mr. Clifford left, again unannounced, and never came back.
Before Clifford’s unexpected visit to the panel, his client, Reuters, had written to the Commission explaining its inability to honor the summons.
NHRC regarded this as “unfortunate” because Reuters seem not to cooperate with the Commission and this is unexpected for such an internationally renowned news agency.
On March 21, 2023, Reuters, through the services of Olumide Babalola chambers, wrote a letter to the Commission titled, “Notice of objection to summons to witnesses dated the 16th day of March 2023 issued on Paul Carsten, Reade Levinson, David Lewis, Libby George, and Christophe Van Der Perm brought pursuant to Section 6 (2)(b) (e) of the National Human Rights Commission Act 2010”.
In the letter, Reuters claimed that the witnesses do not have any physical or business presence in Nigeria and, by extension, are outside the territorial jurisdiction of the panel.
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In the meantime, though, the panel heard the testimony of Mr. Emmanuel Ajah, country director of Marie Stopes, an international organization that provides family planning services.
Marie Stopes was alleged to have been involved in the abortion saga.
In his testimony, Mr. Ajah said that his organization does not conduct illegal abortions but provides post-abortion care and that the Reuters allegation is a pure misrepresentation of facts.
Mr. Ajah said his organization collaborated with public offices in the country in the course of their services, the country director, and Dr. Kingsley Odogwu, a specialist gynecologist with Marie Stopes in their oral evidence before the panel.
He said that they only had cases where women who are at risk of their lives are given medical assistance to save their lives during complicated medical conditions. Read more.
