The performance of an abortion is a criminal offense unless it is performed to save a pregnant woman's life. Although the laws in Southern and Northern Nigeria are essentially similar, they are worded differently. The Penal Code also regards the performance of most abortions as a criminal act. A woman who causes herself to miscarry is considered to be within the meaning of the provision. Both the Criminal Code and the Penal Code impose a penalty of 14 years of imprisonment for the performance of an abortion.
Criminal law permits the performance of an abortion necessary to save a woman's life.
Similarly, the Penal Code permits an abortion to save the life of a woman. Laws cover other abortion-related offenses. For example, in Southern Nigeria, the Criminal Code provides that it is illegal to supply materials knowing that they may be used to produce an abortion. The punishment for this crime is three years of imprisonment. The Penal Code provides that any person who, with intent to cause a miscarriage, undertakes any act that causes a woman's death is subject to imprisonment for 14 years.