Almost 900 children, including 106 girls, were released by a Nigerian militia group last Friday, according to UNICEF.
The UN children’s agency said 894 children were released by the Civilian Joint Task Force in the north-east Nigerian town of Maiduguri. The CJTF is a local militia group that helps Nigerian security forces in fighting the Islamist insurgency led by Boko Haram in the nation’s north-east.
The moves brings the total number of children and young people released by the group since its leaders signed a plan to prevent recruitment and use of children in September, 2017, to 1,727. UNICEF says that since signing, the CJTF, which was formed in 2013, has also not been involved in recruiting any children to its ranks.
Mohamed Fall, Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria and the co-chair of United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting on Grave Child Rights Violations, welcomed the move.
“Any commitment for children that is matched with action is a step in the right direction for the protection of children’s rights and must be recognised and encouraged,” he said in a statement released by UNICEF.
“Children of north-east Nigeria have borne the brunt of this conflict. They have been used by armed groups in combatant and non-combatant roles and witnessed death, killing and violence. This participation in the conflict has had serious implications for their physical and emotional well-being.”
The released children are expected to take part in reintegration programs to help them return to civilian life.
UNICEF says that more than 3,500 children have been recruited and used by non-state armed groups in north-east Nigeria between 2013 and 2017. Others have been abducted, maimed, raped and killed as a result of the conflict there.
“We cannot give up the fight for the children, as long as children are still affected by the fighting. We will continue until there is no child left in the ranks of all armed groups in Nigeria,” said Fall.
