UNICEF, JNI team up against child abuse

DETERMINED to end violence and other social vices against children, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is collaborating with an Islamic organisation, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) to fight against child abuse in the country.

The officer in charge of UNICEF D Field office in Bauchi, Drissa Yeo, disclosed this in Gombe during a sensitisation campaign for JNI leaders on the campaign to end violence against children.

Drissa Yeo who was represented by the Child Protection Specialist in the D Field Office, Ladi Alabi decried the appalling statistics regarding violence against children as shown by a recent national survey indicating that over half of children first experience violence between the ages of 6 and 11.

He called on the JNI to exercise its great influence by mobilising its members, policymakers, traditional rulers, community leaders, parents among others to join in the campaign to end violence against children.

“When we leave here today, I hope that each one of us, especially you as religious leaders from Northern states, will leave with absolute commitment and energy to take action to ensure that all children in Nigeria can grow up free from violence,” he said.

While responding, Secretary-General of JNI, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, said that child upbringing is a collective responsibility of every people across geographical location and culture.

Abubakar Aliyu also noted that from inception, Islamic form of child upbringing is built on the provisions of the glorious Qu’ran and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He pointed out that the Islamic Tarbiyyah stands out from other forms of upbringing because it is all encompassing consisting of training of the heart, purification of the soul, development of the senses and building of the body.

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The JNI Secretary-General added that child upbringing in Islam entails ensuring attainment of good conduct, better disposition and best standing among mankind.

“Islam’s general approach to children may be summarized in a few principles. First, it is a divine injunction that no child may become the cause of harm to parents (Qur’an, 2:233),” he concluded.