Elizabeth Ameh
The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), has disclosed that a total of 1,120 children, comprising 595 girls and 525 boys, were recruited by armed groups in Northeast Nigeria.
UNICEF Child Protection Manager, Mr. Tarek Akkad, disclosed this at an event to mark the Red Hand Day, (International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers) held at City Star Hotel, Maiduguri on Wednesday, 24 February 2026.
UNICEF Child Protection Manager, Mr. Tarek Akkad speaking at the event
He said the event is being marked to reaffirm UNICEF’s commitment and that of other partners to renew their commitment to protecting the rights of vulnerable children as enshrined in national and international laws.
Mr. Akkad noted that while enough progress has been made through advocacy and reintegration interventions, recruitment of boys and girls by armed groups remains a persistent violation, highlighting the urgent need for prevention, accountability, and sustained reintegration support.
He said, “The red hand print has become a universal symbol of resistance, a call to the world’s conscience. It says clearly and unequivocally: Stop the use of children in armed conflict. Stop the exploitation of children in war. As representatives of government, civil society, and international organizations, our responsibility is clear: to invest in prevention, through peacebuilding, education, community awareness and resilience and strong child protection systems so that no child is ever forced to choose between survival and innocence.
Participants at the red hand UNICEF event
“To strengthen accountability mechanisms against those who recruit and exploit children.
“To ensure full implementation of action plans and handover protocols so that children are treated first and foremost as victims and are safely transferred to civilian child protection authorities. To support reintegration interventions that restore dignity, education, and opportunity to children formerly associated with armed groups.”
Some humanitarian workers present shared their experiences with the formerly recruited children at the rehabilitation and vocation centers.
One stated that “Most times these children come very traumatised and sometimes they almost lose hope in life, that’s why we come here to help them build their resilience, and help them back to normalcy, so that they can go back to school and have a reason to live.”
Another humanitarian worker said: “I have encountered children like these before; their experience is usually traumatizing. Some of them, if you see them among their mates, when there is a fight, they tend to be violent and hostile and harm their colleagues. You will notice that they have ever handled a weapon because of the stiffness and hardness of their fingers.”
Participants mark the red hand print as a universal symbol of resistance
Also speaking on the female victims, a respondent said, “Because the girls are used to being molested, they like playing around men and always want to be jumping around the men when around them. They lose the girl-child spirit.”
Discussions and messages also centered on how to rehabilitate, support, and provide more help to the child victims.
Every child has a right to safety, education, and a future. The Red Hand Day is commemorated globally on February 12th each year to raise awareness about the plight of children in armed conflicts and the recruitment of child soldiers.
Editor’s Note: Ameh, an experienced Nigerian-based broadcast journalist writes pro bono for Advocatus Africa.
