UNODC: 60% of Children in Northeast Nigeria Carry the Burden of Insurgency
By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed that an estimated 60 percent of children in Nigeria’s conflict-ridden Northeast are enduring the harshest consequences of insurgency, a crisis that has persisted since 2009.
Cheikh Ousmane Toure, the Country Director of UNODC, made this known on Monday during the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children (WCJ), held in Maiduguri, Borno State. He described the plight of children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states as deeply alarming, noting that many have been abducted, trafficked, or coerced into armed and criminal groups.
“From 2017 to 2019 alone, at least 1,385 children were forcefully recruited by insurgent groups in the Northeast,” Toure disclosed. “These are not just figures; each number represents a young life disrupted—an individual whose dignity and future are under threat.”
He stressed that about 60 percent of those impacted by the prolonged crisis are young people, whose protection and empowerment are essential for Nigeria’s future development.
Toure also emphasised that the congress theme “Advancing Child-Centred Justice: Preventing and Responding to Violence Affecting Children in the Justice System” was chosen to address the challenges faced by thousands of children exploited by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Calling for immediate, sustained efforts, he urged all actors—government bodies, justice institutions, development partners, and civil society groups to move beyond rhetorical commitments and begin delivering tangible interventions. He also emphasised the importance of youth-led actions and women’s participation in shaping recovery programs in the region.
Speaking at the event, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, represented by Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Barrister Hauwa Abubakar, described the congress as both timely and necessary. She noted that children in the region have suffered immense physical, emotional, and psychological harm during the 16-year insurgency.
Zulum reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to preventing any further recruitment of children as combatants. He said the state, through its Ministries of Justice and Women Affairs and Social Development, is actively working to uphold children’s rights, ensuring access to education, justice, and adequate welfare services.
The congress served as a call to action for a coordinated response to restore the rights and dignity of conflict-affected children, placing them at the centre of justice and rehabilitation efforts.