By Sola Ogundipe

A COALITION of NGOs, the Foundation for African Heritage, FACH, Uduimo Itsueli Foundation, and Fertility Care Centers of Africa, has cautioned against suggestions for the pregnant women and girls rescued from Boko Haram captivity in Sambisa Forest, to terminate their pregnancies.

Sonnie Ekwowusi is shown in the photo presenting the envelope containing the cash to Mr. Bitrus Samuel of NEMA franked by other members of NEMA

Describing such calls as unconscionable, inhuman and scandalous, a representative of the Group, Mr. Sonnie Ekwowusi said what the girls urgently need at this moment is proper healthcare, social welfare and counselling services that would enable them to be effectively reintegrated and re-absorbed in the society.

Ekwowusi, who made a cash donation on behalf of the group for rehabilitation of the girls to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in Abuja, said having experienced unspeakable trauma, dehumanisation and violence in the hands of their Boko Haram captors, it is unreasonable and illogical to subject the girls to the trauma and life-threatening abortion process.

He said the group was offering free maternity and rehabilitation homes and that there were prospects for legal adoption for those who wanted. Faulting reports that 214 pregnant girls and women were among those rescued, The Coalition’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Chioma Okonkwo, said only 43 women are visibly pregnant as of May 12th 2015.

“In the process of organising our relief efforts to the rescued women and children, we set out to determine the true numbers and categories of victims we would have to cater for. “Consequently, we liaised with the government officials and agencies in custody of the rescued women and children and they revealed only 43 oshowed visible signs of pregnancy.

“They also refuted the earlier claim which put the number of pregnant women at 214, since pregnancy tests were yet to be carried out on the women.” According to Okonkwo, another member of the group who resides in Yola, Adamawa State, noted that at present the rescued victims lack the bare necessities of life such as clothing, food, water and shelter. “One would think that these should be the immediate concern of any philanthropic group instead of focusing on a campaign for abortion while these victims remain in need.

The group argued that what should be offerred is a range of safer and morally upright options that include safe refugee and crisis pregnancy centres, pelvic ultrasound to determine the gestational age, (dates and viability of the pregnancies). In the views of an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, one Dr. Williams: “We must not assume that all these pregnancies, intended or not, are unwanted or are a result of rape”

The group said it is also offering professional medical and psychosocial counseling, adoption, provision of relief items and foster home care. recently, while briefing newsmen in Lagos on activities of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, towards rehabilitating the rescued women and children, the Executive Director, Prof. Babatunde Osotemehin, had indicated that 214 of those rescued were pregnant.