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The U.S. State Department is imploring the Nigerian government to investigate yet another horrific allegation: that thousands of women who were raped by radical militants and terrorists have been forced by the Nigerian military to have abortions.
These terminations were reportedly done on girls as young as 12 and whose pregnancies ranged from a few weeks to as far along as eight months. The abortions were purportedly mostly carried out without their consent, with women allegedly being held by the military for days or weeks.
The disturbing allegations, first detailed in a Reuters report earlier this month, are said to be part of Nigeria’s secret battle to push back against Islamic extremism.
Some women reported being given abortion-inducing pills and shots under the pretense of helping their health, while others were allegedly beaten, drugged, or threatened at gunpoint during their abortions.
The allegations sparked a response from the State Department in which officials expressed being “deeply troubled” by the claim, a quest to discern more details, and a purported push for Nigeria to form an independent inquiry into the matter, according to The Christian Post.
“We have raised the allegations with the Government of Nigeria and continue to seek information,” a statement to the Post read. “We were not aware of this allegation prior to the Reuters story.”
Officials are exploring the report and weighing their next steps, with a human rights commission in Nigeria announcing it will look into the claims.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
Reuters’ investigative report earlier this month proclaimed the “Nigerian military ran a secret mass abortion program in [the] war against Boko Haram.”
Boko Haram is an Islamic terrorist group in Africa.
For the rest of this story, visit our content partners at faithwire.com. 
Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2022 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
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