By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Borno State Specialist Hospital said it did not record any sign of sexual assaults among women and girls handed over to them by soldiers after their rescue from the frontline of counter insurgency operations in Nigeria’s North East.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Hospital, Dr. Aisha Adamu Buba who disclosed this at the facility when the Chairman and members of the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East Nigeria said, ‘she never heard of Reuters’ report.
Sundiata Post recalls that an international news agency, Reuters had in 2022 released a three-part report alleging that the Nigerian military since 2013 was involved in a secret, systematic and illegal abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, infanticide and other forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence while fighting insurrection in the North East.
The CMD told the 7-Member panel chaired by Justice Abdu Aboki (rtd) that the hospital under her watch offers first aid services to returnees and those that require referrals are sent to other hospitals to manage severe cases such as fractures.
Responding to a question by the general counsel on the panel, Mr. Hilary Ogbonna, about the usage of prescription drugs like oxytocin and misoprostol, the obstetrician- gynecologist said the hospital uses such drugs strictly on doctor’s prescription. He added that the Hospital basically runs clinical services and conducts few deliveries totaling about 248 per annum.
In the same manner, other key staff of the hospital gave their oral evidence before the panel thereby corroborating the testimony of the CMD that the hospital maintains a high level of professionalism among the various professions working in the hospital.
Other personnel of the Hospital who testified before the visiting investigative panel are the Head of Pharmacy department, Mr. Modi Ali Gambo, Head of Nursing Services department, Abdullahi Madu Bririma, Head Laboratory Services department Abdullahi Ago and the Mortician, Adamu Haruna.
