Feature: Nigerian children living under shadow of insurgency
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E-mail Xinhua, June 1, 2014
For a region noted for its backwardness in all human development indices, the menace of Boko Haram in the North East of Nigeria is a blow to many.
For nearly two years, the insurgents have held the people of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa by the jugular, forcing the federal government to declare a moderated state of emergency in them more than a year ago.
It means that even in its backwardness, the zone cannot make any concerted efforts to grow in the present circumstance.
The situation becomes even scarier for children and youths who are easily among the most vulnerable in war situations.
The abduction of more than 200 girls from a secondary school 45 days ago in Borno has added a new column to the insurgency. Prior to the abduction, schools had been attacked in Yobe where some school children were killed in a night attack.
The Federal Government College, Buni Yadi in Yobe was the theater of war in February when at least 53 students were killed in their sleep.
On July 6, 2013, at least 42 people, mostly school children were killed in an attack on a school in Yobe. Similarly in late September 2013, 42 male students of College of Agriculture in Gujba were massacred in an attack.
President Goodluck Jonathan has repeatedly said that the government is working hard to secure the release of the Chibok girls whose abduction has caused worldwide condemnation and sympathy.
A glimmer of hope came in the week when the military said it had sighted the girls in three different Boko Haram camps, meaning that they were still alive.
To make the hope even higher, four of the girls were reported to have been released by their abductors when they fell ill.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has condemned the abduction by gunmen and expressed deep concern about the persistent trend of attacks on innocent children.
It said such a brutal act could deny children their right to learn in a safe environment and rob them of their future.
"Wherever it takes place, abduction of children is a crime and illegal under international law," it said.
The agency called for greater efforts to protect all children throughout Nigeria.
The UN body also expressed deep solidarity with all the communities affected by horrific acts of terror.
The rest of the states in the zone -- Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba -- are not entirely free of Boko Haram attacks. Bauchi, for instance, was a major theater of war when the insurgency was taking its roots but the perpetrators were apparently driven up north to other states.
With the killing of students in Yobe and the abduction of the girls in Chibok, the effect of Boko Haram on education has become obvious. In remote villages in the three states, it has become more lucrative for male children to join the sect than to stay at home.
For instance, their recent attacks on villages are entirely to raise food for their population. Reports from the area indicated that many of the raids were carried out by children of school age who have abandoned normal society to join the group.
In a region where the Al-majiri culture is predominant, recruitment into sects such as Boko Haram is just like a snap of the fingers. And that is why the population continues to increase no matter how many of the members are killed.
Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Education put the number of these children popularly called almajiris at 9 million.
The Federal Government, worried by this development, introduced the Almajiri Education program in collaboration with state governments and development partners.
Almost all states in the north have introduced measures that would help to keep the children off the streets.
Observers said governments at all levels should continue to give priority to education, as empowerment is the greatest gift to a child.
"Perhaps, the presence of the international community in search of the Chibok girls will signal the end of the menace," said a local journalist, "That will give credence to Jonathan's statement that the abduction was the beginning of the end of Boko Haram.
As the legend goes, only time will tell. Endi
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