Do Not Abort Boko Haram Babies, Catholic Bishop Begs

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has condemned suggestions by some stakeholders in the country, who have advocated that the pregnancy of some Boko Haram female victims, conceived through rape, should be terminated. The organisation which condemned the act however says, it will be partly responsible for the upbringing of the children through support mechanisms and crisis pregnancy management centers. According to them, the babies are innocent and should not be killed
for the offences of their erring fathers. Chairman of the Health Committee of CBCN and Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja (Catholic Archdiocese), Most Rev. Anselm Umoren, stated these during a press conference yesterday in Abuja. “Specifically, it is not tenable, the suggestion that killing the babies conceived through rape by the terrorists, is the most humane action to take in this instance. Since the babies are ignorant and innocent of the crimes – aggression, sexual assault, dehumanisation – against their mothers, it is unethical to punish them for the sins and offences of their erring fathers,” he said.