…Authorities Suspect Abducted Minors Forced Into Militant Roles
….Residents Urge Urgent Military, Govt Intervention
UNICEF data reveals over 1,100 children recruited in North-East
Daud Olatunji
Tension has gripped parts of Borno State following the circulation of a viral video allegedly showing a group of underage children dressed in military-style uniforms celebrating in a forest, raising fresh concerns about the possible recruitment of minors by armed groups in the North-East.
The footage, which has been widely shared on social media, reportedly shows about 18 children clad in combat-like uniforms standing in a line while jubilating in what appears to be a remote forest location.
Although the exact location of the video has yet to be independently verified, some residents believe the children may be from the Ngoshe axis of Gwoza Local Government Area in the Borno South Senatorial District, based on the language reportedly spoken in the clip.
Reacting to the development, Secretary of the Coalition of Borno South APC Youth Group, Junaid Jibril Maiva, warned that the situation could pose a serious security threat if not urgently addressed.
“These appear to be child soldiers, possibly from the Ngoshe axis judging by the language they are speaking. If this is not a ticking time bomb, then I don’t know what is,” Maiva wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
He urged the government to act swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating into a deeper security crisis.
“The government must act deliberately and decisively, or this war risks consuming us all,” he added.
Another social media user, Muhammad Abdulrahman, suggested that the children seen in the video might be hostages being held by insurgent groups.
According to him, the presence of hostages could be one of the factors limiting immediate military action in the area.
“A reason the Nigerian Air Force can’t wipe them off overnight is the hundreds of people they are holding hostages,” he wrote.
When contacted for reaction, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in Borno State, Zuwaira Gambo, said the children in the video might be victims of abduction rather than voluntary fighters.
She noted that insurgents often forcefully take children from communities and schools during attacks before compelling them to appear in propaganda materials.
“I have not seen the video, but from experience, such children are often victims who were forcefully taken from the streets and even from schools,” Gambo said.
The commissioner added that recent attacks across parts of the state had led to the abduction of several women and children who could subsequently be forced into wearing military-style uniforms.
“You are aware of the recent attacks where it was said that many women and children were abducted. They can simply sew uniforms and make them wear them,” she said.
Gambo also stated that before the recent wave of attacks, the state government had recorded significant progress in preventing the recruitment of children by insurgent groups through targeted programmes.
According to her, initiatives such as awareness campaigns, school clubs, community engagements with traditional and religious leaders, and the establishment of children’s parliaments had helped discourage child recruitment.
She added that the government had also implemented free education policies and other programmes aimed at boosting school enrolment across the state.
Gambo further disclosed that about 200 street children had recently been rescued, rehabilitated and reunited with their families as part of the state’s child protection efforts.
She said the combined interventions previously contributed to the delisting of Borno from areas where children were actively recruited into terrorism.
However, concerns about the resurgence of child recruitment in the region persist.
In February, the United Nations Children’s Fund warned that the recruitment of children by armed groups in Nigeria’s North-East remained a growing threat.
According to the agency, at least 1,120 children were recruited by armed groups across the region in 2024 alone, including 525 boys and 595 girls.
UNICEF urged governments in the North-East to intensify measures aimed at protecting children and preventing their involvement in armed conflicts.
Source : The Guardian
The Ngoshe community has recently drawn renewed attention following an attack on a military base in the area, during which several civilians were reportedly killed while more than 300 residents were abducted by insurgents.
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