The United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has secured the release of twenty five children consisting twenty three boys and two girls from the administrative custody of the Nigerian Army, bringing the number of children released this year to 44.
In a signed statement issued thursday in Abuja by its Communication Specialist Geoffrey Njoku, the UNICEF Nigerian Acting Representative Pernile Ironside, assured that all conflict affected children are reunited with their families, to enable them have hope of fulfilling their dreams and their human rights.
Ironside lamented the plight of the children disclosing that they were denied medical care, basic social amenities, and robbed the joy of growing up with their families.
She however said the children have been handed over to the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, adding that they were being kept at a UNICEF supported Transit Centre whilst efforts to reunite them with their families and reintegrate them back to their communities are underway.”
“These are children taken away from their families and communities, deprived of their childhood, education, health-care, and of the chance to grow up in a safe and enabling environment.
“As we commemorate the 30th Anniversary for the Convention of the Rights of the Child this year, we must commit to do more for the protection, well-being and development of children in Nigeria, including by ensuring that they are not recruited or used in conflicts in the first place,” Ironside said.
She reaffirmed the commitment of UNICEF in ensuring that all children affected by the crisis are reunited with their families, saying that the organization is working towards a position where all children held in military custody will be released.
“We have made progress, but we would like to see all children suspected of involvement with armed groups, transfered out of military custody to the care of the relevant local authorities as quickly as possible to facilitate their return to their families and communities, spending minimal, if any, time in detention”.
She noted further that since 2016, a total of 2,499 people including 1,627 children have been cleared of association with non-state armed groups.
“UNICEF and partners continue to provide age and gender appropriate community-based reintegration support services to all affected children and other vulnerable children in communities that are at risk of recruitment by armed groups,” she added.
