The United Nations (UN) has asked the federal government to investigate a Reuters report of an existing secret abortion operation being run by the Nigerian military for female victims of Boko Haram in the North-East part of the country.

In a statement on Friday, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, through his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, asked “the Nigerian authorities to fully investigate these allegations and make sure there’s accountability.”

An investigation by Reuters had unravelled how, over the years, thousands of women and young girls were kidnapped, raped and frequently drugged by Islamic terrorists.

The military had forcibly terminated at least 10,000 pregnancies of the women and young ladies to stop the birth of children of Islamic militants, fearing that the babies might grow to take up arms against Nigeria in future or become a stigma to their families.

The secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme has been running since at least 2013, according to documents and interviews reviewed by the international news agency. 

The report also revealed that the military used oxytocin to induce abortion in some women, a drug with side effects reserved to induce contraction during normal labour by women.

Surgical abortion operations were also carried out on some women without their consent.

Sources interviewed by Reuters said the victims were asked at times if they wanted an abortion, but the investigation could not determine how many gave their consent. 

At least 33 victims were reportedly identified.

The Nigerian military has long claimed it was rehabilitating the women and children scattered in different makeshift camps across the troubled region.

Maimalari Barracks, Giwa Barracks, Umar Shehu Hospital and State Specialist Hospital are reported to be among the facilities used to conduct the controversial operation.

Reacting further, Mr Dujarric said that the international body was concerned about the inhumane treatment of the women and young ladies. 

He said the Buhari regime should investigate and establish the “immediate remedial actions and accountability measures” of the report if true. 

“The Secretary-General takes note with concern of the allegations of systemic and coerced abortions reportedly perpetrated by the Nigerian Army against women and girls who had already been victimized by Boko Haram,” Mr Dujarric added. 

In a related development, U.S. State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, said president Joe Biden was deeply troubled by the report perpetrated by the Nigerian military. 

“Our embassy in Abuja is seeking further information, including from the government of Nigeria and stakeholders working in this space,” Mr Price noted. 

“We have encouraged the government of Nigeria to take the allegations seriously and to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation, and we will continue to do so.”

However, the Nigerian military has denied the report, describing it as false. 

The Defence Headquarters in Abuja had issued a statement ahead of the publication of the report, that sought to mitigate the scandal from spreading to Nigerians.

“The fictitious series of stories actually constitute a body of insults on the Nigerian peoples and culture.

“Nigerian military personnel have been raised, bred and further trained to protect lives, even at their own risk, especially when it concerns the lives of children, women and the elderly,” defence spokesman Jimmy Akpor said in a statement to the media.