UNICEF Raises Alarm as 1,120 Children Recruited by Armed Groups in Northeast

UNICEF Raises Alarm as 1,120 Children Recruited by Armed Groups in Northeast

By  Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that more than 1,120 children were recruited by three armed groups operating in Nigeria’s Northeast in 2024 alone.

According to the agency, the affected children, 525 boys and 595 girls, were unlawfully enlisted as fighters and forced into sexual exploitation across Borno State, Adamawa State and Yobe State.

UNICEF’s Child Protection Manager, Tarek Akkad, revealed the figures on Wednesday in Maiduguri while commemorating the 2026 Red Alert Day, also known globally as the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers.

He described the observance as part of a worldwide effort to renew commitment toward safeguarding vulnerable children, particularly in conflict-affected regions.

Akkad stressed the need for Nigeria to fully adopt and implement the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) concerning the involvement of children in armed conflict. He warned that despite progress recorded in recent years, the recruitment and use of minors in hostilities remain a serious breach of international law.

Quoting the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, Akkad noted that the enlistment of children by armed actors continues to rank among the most persistent and widespread violations against children globally.

“In the Northeast, armed groups continue to exploit boys and girls in different but equally devastating ways,” he said, adding that ongoing support from government authorities, UNICEF and development partners has enabled many rescued children to begin rebuilding their lives.

He called on government representatives, civil society organisations and international partners to intensify preventive measures, strengthen accountability systems and ensure the full implementation of action plans aimed at ending child recruitment.

Akkad further emphasised that children formerly associated with armed groups must be treated primarily as victims and handed over safely to civilian child protection authorities for rehabilitation and reintegration.

The renewed call comes amid continued security challenges in parts of the Northeast, underscoring the urgency of collective action to protect children from the horrors of armed conflict.