Hussaini Ibrahim 
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria – At least 1,120 children are recruited by armed groups in Northeast Nigeria in 2024, United Nations Children’s Fund reveals.
UNICEF Child Protection Manager Tarek Akkad discloses the figures on Wednesday in Maiduguri during activities marking the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, known as Red Hand Day. He says the victims include 525 boys and 595 girls, describing the practice as a persistent grave violation.
“In Northeast Nigeria, armed groups continue to recruit and use children in deeply harmful ways,” Akkad says.
Citing a UN report, he notes that child recruitment remains one of the most widespread violations globally, with about 250,000 children involved in conflicts worldwide. While official 2025 data is still being collated, Akkad warns of early signs pointing to a possible rise.
He acknowledges progress through advocacy and reintegration but calls for stronger prevention and accountability.
“This highlights the urgent need for sustained reintegration support and prevention,” he says.
Observed annually on February 12, Red Hand Day renews commitments to laws protecting children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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