Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised the alarm that over 3,500 children have been recruited and used by non-state armed groups in North-east Nigeria since 2013, and called for stringent efforts for the protection of children’s rights.
UNICEF, in a statement issued Thursday to mark the 5th anniversary of the abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls, said: “More than 3,500 children, most of whom were aged 13 to 17, were recruited by non-state armed groups between 2013 and 2017 and have been used in the ongoing armed conflict in north-east Nigeria.”
The UN children’s agency revealed that “these numbers are only those that have been verified, while the true figures are likely to be higher.”
The statement further disclosed that: “In addition to these children, 432 children were killed and maimed, 180 were abducted, and 43 girls were sexually abused in North-east Nigeria in 2018.
Source: Thisday Newspaper
