I 3,500 CHILDREN RECRUITED, USED BY MILITANTS AS COMBATANTS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA – UNICEF

The United Nations (UN) children’s agency in commemorating the fifth anniversary of the 2014 Chibok abduction, noted that these numbers are only those that have been verified, while the true figures are likely to be higher.

Penpushing further reports that, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said 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.

The agency  said the  recruited children were  used  as combatants and non-combatants, raped and forced girls to marry, and committed other grave violations against children since 2012, noting that, “some of the girls become pregnant in captivity and give birth without any medical care or attention,”

The  organization  said, “in 2017 and 2018, UNICEF and its partners provided community-based reintegration services to more than 9,800 people formerly associated with armed groups, as well as vulnerable children in communities,” .

Penpushing also reports that, the body said these services help to trace children’s families, return them to their communities, and offer psychosocial support, education, vocational training, informal apprenticeships, and opportunities to improve livelihoods.