BY: News Peddlers
 |
| Chibok girls |
96 of the 276 Chibok girls who were seized by Boko Haram extremists from their dormitory in Northeast Nigeria nine years ago and are still held captive have been labelled as "nightmare" cases by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
On the night of April 14, 2014, the "Chibok girls" were abducted, causing outrage and alarm around the world.
In a statement on Friday, the UN children's agency noted that both boys and girls continued to be impacted by the fighting in that region of Nigeria.
The prolonged conflict in the area has also led to thousands of girls and boys being subjected to grave breaches, UNICEF added, highlighting the importance of protecting children in Nigeria.
According to the UN agency, which cited local media, on April 7th, militants kidnapped some 80 children in Zamfara State's Tsafe Local Government Area.
According to Cristian Munduate, UNICEF's representative in Nigeria, the "nightmare" is still going on because so many kids are constantly being abducted, forced into military service, killed, and injured.
"We cannot ignore the agony that Nigerian children are experiencing. We must do everything in our power to ensure them grow up in safety, with access to education and the opportunity to reach their potential,” he said.
6,800 children in northeast Nigeria have been the victims of over 2,400 verified cases of grave breaches since 2014, according to UNICEF.
The most prevalent worry is armed group recruiting, which is followed by kidnapping, killing, and maiming.
Education has been alarmingly impacted by the conflict, and UNICEF issued a warning that future generations would undoubtedly suffer as a result.
According to the Teachers' Registration Council of Nigeria (TCN), between 2009 and 2022, around 2,295 teachers are estimated to have died in attacks and more than 19,000 have been forced to flee their homes.
In addition, due to insecurity, over 1,500 schools were closed and 910 were demolished.
UNICEF applauded the government for agreeing to sign a protocol supporting the handover of children met during armed conflict and for promising to provide more than $314 million to a finance plan for school safety.
The handover agreement, which was signed in September, attempts to avoid or minimise the custody of minors who are encountered by law enforcement and military personnel.
According to the agreement, children who are reportedly connected to armed organisations would be handed over to the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Social Development within a week.
UNICEF urged all parties to the conflict to uphold human rights and international humanitarian law and to defend children's rights and welfare.
(NAN)