THE Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai has released a hundred and eighty-three children involved in the insurgency to the humanitarian community for complete deradicalization and rehabilitation processes.
Making the presentation in the Marmalari cantonment senior officers mess, Buratai represented by the theatre commander Major General Rogers Nicholas said that the kids associated with this struggle had spent some time with them during their primary level of deradicalization.
He said that it is hoped that they will be given all the care needed to lay the foundation for the necessary psychosocial treatment aimed at healing them and returning them back to their innocence as kids ready to move to the next level.
Signing the memorandum of understanding MOU binding the take over of the kids until they are united with their families, United Nations resident coordinator in Nigeria Edward Kallon commended the military for doing a great job which only they can handle at that preliminary level.
Kallon who was represented by Ibrahim Sesay the UNICEF child protection specialist noted that this is not the first time they are receiving kids from the insurgency war theatre adding that two thousand of them have been released so far since 2016.
“We received a thousand of them before now. Now we are receiving a hundred and eighty-three more and we know this is not the end of the matter. Let me express our gratitude to the military for sacrificing their lives for the entire people of Borno and their kids.
“Let me assure this gathering that we will surely restore the kids by ensuring that they all get to their homes. Our gratitude also goes to the Army Chief for maintaining a strong synergy based on international standards.
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The UN reps noted that the transformation is a long step and they will ensure that the best is given to them. We still have a long way to go on the rehabilitation processes. The provision of sustainable reintegration is the next. We will ensure that they have a strong partnership on the case of the kids.
The release comes after the children, aged 7-18, were cleared of ties with Boko Haram insurgents.
“These 8 girls and 175 boys are first and foremost victims of the ongoing conflict and their release is an important step on their long road to recovery,” said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.
“We will be working with the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and partners to provide the children with all the assistance they need. I also want to commend the action taken by the military and the authorities, it demonstrates a clear commitment to better protect children affected by the ongoing conflict.”
After having been held in administrative custody, the children will receive medical attention and psychosocial support before the process of reuniting them with their families and reintegrating them into society begins.
Since 2017, UNICEF has supported the social and economic reintegration of more than 8,700 children released from armed groups, helping to trace their families, returning them to their communities, and offering them psychosocial support, education, vocational training and informal apprenticeships, and opportunities to improve livelihoods.
Present was deputy theatre commander commodore Aminu Hassan who commended the humanitarian community on their good deeds in the war theatre.
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