The Pathfinder
Thursday February 26, 2026
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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that at least 1,120 children were recruited by armed groups, including Boko Haram, in Northeast Nigeria in 2024, where many were used as child soldiers and sex slaves.
UNICEF Child Protection Manager, Tarek Akkad, disclosed this during the 2026 Red Hand Day commemoration in Maiduguri, describing the trend as a serious violation affecting conflict-hit communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
According to him, the figure includes 595 girls and 525 boys forced into non-state armed groups, noting that child recruitment remains a persistent reality despite international efforts to end the practice.
Akkad said recent United Nations reports indicate that more than 1,100 children were recruited in Northeast Nigeria alone in 2024, while an estimated 250,000 children are still involved in armed conflicts worldwide.
He stressed that the Red Hand Day campaign symbolises global resistance against the use of children in armed conflicts and called on stakeholders to strengthen efforts to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and violence.
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