BORNO RESIDENTS RAISE ALARM OVER VIRAL VIDEO OF SUSPECTED CHILD SOLDIERS

Read Time:3 Minute, 12 Second

By Aishat Momoh. O.

Residents of Borno State have expressed concern over a viral video showing underage children, suspected to be terrorist child soldiers, dressed in full camouflage inside a deserted forest.

The video, which surfaced on Monday, shows about 18 children wearing military uniforms and standing in a straight line while jubilating in what appears to be an isolated forest.

Although the exact location has not been confirmed, residents claimed the language spoken by the children suggests they may be from the Ngoshe axis in Gwoza Local Government Area, located in the Borno South Senatorial District.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Secretary of the Coalition of Borno South APC Youth Group, Junaid Jibril Maiva, described the development as a “ticking time bomb.”

“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,” he wrote.

Maiva called on the government to take urgent action to prevent the situation from escalating.

“The government must act deliberately and decisively, or this war risks consuming us all,” he added.

Another social media user, Muhammad Abdulrahman, suggested the children might be hostages held by insurgents, explaining that such situations often make direct military action difficult.

“A reason the Nigerian Air Force can’t wipe them off overnight is the hundreds of people they are holding hostage,” he said.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in the state, Zuwaira Gambo, said the children might be victims forcibly taken during recent insurgent attacks.

“I have not seen the video, but categorically I can tell you from experience that such children are victims who are sometimes forcefully adopted from streets and even schools,” she said.

According to her, recent attacks in parts of the state involved the abduction of many women and children who could later be forced into wearing uniforms by insurgents.

Gambo noted that prior to the recent attacks, the state government had implemented several programmes to prevent the recruitment of children into armed groups.

She explained that initiatives such as awareness campaigns, school clubs, engagements with traditional and religious leaders, and children’s parliament programmes helped curb child recruitment in the state.

The commissioner added that these efforts contributed to the United Nations removing Borno from the list of conflict zones associated with child recruitment.

“We don’t have cases of child soldier recruitment anymore if not for the recent attacks,” she said.

However, the United Nations Children’s Fund earlier raised concerns about a rise in the recruitment of children by terrorist groups in Nigeria’s North-East.

The UNICEF Child Protection Manager, Tarek Akkad, disclosed that 1,120 children were recruited in 2024 alone across the region, including 525 boys and 595 girls.

“In Northeast Nigeria, armed groups continue to recruit and use children, impacting boys and girls in different but equally harmful ways,” Akkad said.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has called on Muslims and Christians in the state to intensify prayers for peace amid renewed insecurity.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, the governor, who is currently in Saudi Arabia for the Lesser Hajj, urged Muslims to use the last 10 days of Ramadan to pray for an end to the protracted insurgency.

Zulum said the recent coordinated attacks by Boko Haram insurgents should not weaken the resolve of residents to remain united against insecurity.

“As we usher in the last 10 days of the Holy month of Ramadan, let’s intensify prayers to Almighty Allah and beseech Him through acts of worship to attract His mercies and blessings,” the governor said.

He also urged the Christian community observing Lent to join in the prayers for lasting peace in the state and across Nigeria.