By Gbenga Akingbule
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday called for more attention on the protection of children who are afectected by 16 year Boko Haram Insurgency in the Northeast region.
Gatekeepers News reports that the UNODC expressed concern over the number of children recruited by Boko Haram, highlighting the urgent need for protection and intervention.
Cheikh Ousmane Toure, the UNODC’s Country Representative, call for the restoration of the dignity and protection of children at the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital.
Toure said children in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states have been neglected by the society adding that many of the children are abducted, trafficked and forcibly recruited by armed and criminal groups since 2009.
According to Toure , available statistics had shown that no fewer than 1,385 children were recruited between 2017 and 2019 into various criminal groups.
“These figures are just statistics. Each one represents a child whose life, dignity, and future are at risk,” Toure said.
At the Congress, with the theme of this year “Advancing Child-Centred Justice: Preventing and Responding to Violence Affecting Children in Justice Systems,” Toure calls for swift action to protect innocent children in conflict zones.
He said “The protection of children is not optional. The prevention demands more than rhetoric, it requires resources, commitment and accountability.
“About 60 per cent of those affected are youths. Nigeria’s development depends on the protection and empowerment of its young population.
“Together we can build a future where no child is left behind and where every child has the chance to contribute to Nigeria’s full development potential,” Toure said.
