Terrorism in Africa and most especially in Nigeria has taken a new and terrifying dimension with the use of children in suicide bombing by the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups in recent times.
Across the globe, reports show that not less than 300,000 Children (both boys and girls), under the age of 18, presently serve as combatants fighting in almost 75 per cent of the world’s terrorist groups and 80 per cent of these children include fighters under the age of 15.
Documented evidence by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) indicates that the use of children to carry out suicide attacks has become part of the tactics being used by the various terrorist groups to perpetuate their dastardly terror activities.
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There is documentary evidence that both the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province have recruited more than 8,000 children since 2009 till date for terrorism activities.
The United Nations Children’s Fund reported in 2017 that one in every five Suicide bombers used by Boko Haram has been a child, under-scoring the heartless nature of the religious extremist group. In 2017 alone, 146 children, comprising 45 boys and 101 girls were used as human bombs, while from 2018 till date, 53 children were used as couriers of bombs (human bombs) in North-East Nigeria.
For over 10 years now, Boko Haram terrorist group has been terrorising people in the North-East region of Nigeria. Although, government has said it severally that the group has been defeated or decimated, has the notorious terrorist group continued to deal with both civilians and military, focusing their attacks on mosques, markets, public gatherings and military formations.
Most of the recruited children being used, 75 per cent of which were girls, were abducted by the sect from their homes, and their bodies were later identified from remains after suicide attacks and the effect of all these has caused many families to lose their children.
Using children for any terrorist and related activity by the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province is wickedness, barbaric, inhumane and ungodly. Therefore, Boko Haram and other terror groups across the globe that are engaging children in terrorist acts are doing that for selfish reasons because it is against the doctrine of Islamic religion.
Quran (6:140) said: “Losers indeed are those who killed their children foolishly, due to their lack of knowledge, and prohibited what God has provided for them, and followed innovations attributed to God. They have gone astray; they are not guided.”
So, the question begging for immediate answer is, “where did the Boko Haram terrorist group, Islamic State of West Africa Province and the likes get their doctrine of killing people and using children in terrorist acts from?
This is pathetic and ungodly, it must stop now.
Agunloye Adewunmi Bashiru
bagunloye@gmail.com
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