The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) has released a report that says that at least 8000 children have been recruited by Boko Haram and splinter group Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) since the terrorist groups began onslaughts in Nigeria.
The report further says that children have played different roles in the terror organizations which makes the rehabilitation and reintegration a very intricate process that requires to be crafted for the various roles. The children were used as combatants and non-combatants missions; they also raped and forced girls to marry as well as committing other grave violations.
The figures which might be underestimated have been revealed during a consultancy meeting that hopes to find a lasting solution as well as rehabilitating and reintegrating these children who may be exposed to long-lasting traumatic impacts.
Boko Haram has been notorious in using children in their operations as they seek to dismantle the ‘western’ education and as such has no regards for the fundamental children’s rights. A 2017 report by UNICEF found that the use of children to carry out suicide attacks had become a defining feature of the conflict.
