The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says 4,240 children associated with armed conflict in the North-East have been handed over to government of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states for reintegration.
UNICEF Child Protection Manager, Maiduguri Field Office, Samuel Sesay made this known during a two-day taskforce meeting on handover protocol implementation plan in Maiduguri.
The Handover Protocol is an agreement signed in 2022 between the Federal government and United Nations to ensure children associated with armed conflict are removed from military facilities.
Mr Samuel Sesay explained that the Protocol was a step-by-step procedure on how children who either escaped from the custody of armed group or released by the insurgents do not stay long in military facilities before they are released to the Ministry of Women Affairs for proper reintegration.
Borno state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo represented by the acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Mohamed Hamza lauded the commitment of the actors and urged them to ensure proper implementation of the framework.
“Stakeholders present here must ensure that all child protection concerns are addressed comprehensively with full respect to guiding principles of child rights, including the children best interest, non-discrimination, active participation of children and the need to ensure their right to life and development,” he said.
Alhaji Hamza expressed the ministry’s readiness to ensure children associated with armed groups were released to the Ministry for Women Affairs within the stipulated seven days and provided with comprehensive welfare package.
The members of the Taskforce are drawn from Federal ministries of Women Affairs, Defence, Humanitarian Affairs, Office of the National Security Adviser, the military and United Nations
