Abuja A dispute over the sanctity of human life has arisen in Nigeria as a result of the Catholic Church’s vehement opposition to the Federal Government’s purported plan to legalise abortion.

The Federal Ministry of Health’s Health Promotion Department is reportedly examining Criminal Code provisions to decriminalise abortion, which prompted the Church to denounce the practice. According to reports, this action aims to lower maternal fatalities and increase access to safe pregnancy termination.

However, in a statement issued by the CSN’s secretary general, Very Rev. Fr. Zacharia Nyantiso Samjumi, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) publicly voiced its disapproval on Thursday.

The statement underlined that Nigeria’s Constitution, which protects the right to life, is incompatible with the legalisation of abortion. It said that no one’s right to life may be purposefully taken away from them, as stated in Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Catholic Church maintained that the government should concentrate on teaching people about reproductive health and the value of human life rather than advocating abortion.

They underlined that via church writings, doctrines, and communiqués, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has continuously promoted the defence of human life.

The Nigerian Catholic Secretariat emphasised the love and sacred dignity that every human being is entitled to and encouraged Nigerians to oppose the legalisation of abortion.

According to the statement, “The government should increase its efforts to educate the public on the imperatives of the values and dignity of the human person, rather than expanding access to safe pregnancy termination by destroying life.”

The government should prioritise the sacred dignity and love that should be given to every human being, as guaranteed by natural law and divine commandments and affirmed in the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution, instead of elevating the culture of death by legalising abortion.

“It is safer to include human dignity in the curriculum than to work against it under the guise of human freedom in order to provide access.” Society will function more smoothly in peace and harmony the more we understand and respect the dignity of others.

“Any abortion method that directly ends a baby’s life in the womb is condemned by the Catholic Church and all morally upright persons. The unborn child is entitled to life, protection, and not to be killed by an unfair legislation. We firmly think that every human life, especially the most vulnerable ones that are still in the womb from the time of conception, should be recognised and preserved.