The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has described as a great atrocity the usage of children especially girls by Boko Haram terrorists as suicide bombers in the North eastern part of Nigeria.
In a statement on Tuesday from its Geneva head office, UNICEF said, “In the last few years and so far this year, the number of children used is already four times higher than it was for all of last year.”
It added that children used as ‘human bombs’ are, above all, victims not perpetrators.
Available data shows that since January 1, 2017, 83 children have been used as ‘human bombs’; 55 were girls, most often under 15 years old; 27 were boys, and one was a bomb strapped to a girl.
The use of children in such attacks has created suspicion and fear of children who have been released, rescued or escaped from Boko Haram. As a result, many children who have managed to get away from captivity face rejection when they try to reintegrate into their communities, thereby compounding their suffering.
UNICEF also stated that “It supports reconciliation activities in Northeast Nigeria, led by respected community and religious leaders, including influential women, to help promote tolerance, acceptance, and reintegration.”
