metro
Over 8,000 girls, boys recruited as child soldiers in N’East ― UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has said more than 8,000 girls, boys recruited as child soldiers in the North East by various armed groups involved in insurgency.
It called for an end to the recruitment and use of children by armed groups in Nigeria.
The international humanitarian agency also called for the immediate release of those in the custody of such groups just as it urged support for former child soldiers in Nigeria’s North-East region.
The call came on the heels of commemoration of the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, otherwise known as “Red Hand Day”.
According to UNICEF, “For 13 years, armed conflict in North-East Nigeria has claimed thousands of lives and disrupted livelihoods and access to essential services for children and their families.”
A statement, Monday, by the organisation, quoted UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Phuong T. Nguyen, as saying, “We call for an immediate end to the recruitment and use of innocent children as soldiers or for any other conflict-related role.”
“It is unacceptable and unconscionable that girls and boys continue to serve on the frontlines of a conflict they did not start,” it added.
“UNICEF called on the Nigerian authorities to sign the Handover Protocol for children encountered in the course of armed conflict in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin Region, which would end the detention of children formerly associated with armed groups.
“The Handover Protocol would ensure children encountered during military and security operations are transferred from military custody to civilian child protection actors to support their reintegration into society through the provision of family tracing and reunification services and medical, educational, and psychosocial recovery services. Support would also life skills support, skills training, and links to decent work,” the statement added.
The group noted that, “The Borno State Child Protection Act, recently signed into law by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, prohibits and prescribes stiff penalties for the violation of children’s rights. “
“The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict also prohibits the forced recruitment or conscription of children under 18 by government forces, and the participation of children under 18 in active hostilities by any party,” it explained.
The statement read further: “Ratified by the Government of Nigeria in 2012, the Optional Protocol places obligations on non-state armed groups, not to, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities persons under the age of 18.
“We must do more to ensure that Nigeria’s children do not suffer the worst impacts of conflict,” said Phuong T. Nguyen.
“We owe girls and boys a chance to leave the horrors of conflict behind. Every day of delay in the custody of armed groups is a tragedy with grave implications for the children, families, and Nigerian society as a whole.”
metro
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
The United Kingdom Home Office has announced an upward revision of visa application fees across various categories, with the cost of study visas for main applicants and their dependents rising from £490 to £524.
According to an update published on the Home Office website on March 19, the new fees will apply from April 9. The cost of a six-month visit visa will increase from £115 to £127, while a two-year visa will now be issued at £475, up from £432. Additionally, the fee for a 10-year visa has been raised from £963 to £1,059.
Transit visas have also been affected by the changes, with the direct airside transit visa fee increasing from £35 to £39, and the direct landside visit visa rising from £64 to £70.
READ ALSO:
- Ex-Rivers HoS wife cries for help over husband’s safety
- Fubara reacts as Ex-HOS, Nwaeke accuses him of bombing oil pipelines, Rivers Assembly
- Natasha: Emmanuel Uduaghan threatens to sue Senator Nwaebonyi
The UK has long been a preferred destination for Nigerian students looking to further their education, often as a way to escape economic challenges at home. However, the number of Nigerian students applying to study in the UK has dropped significantly in 2024 following a government policy barring most international students from bringing their family members.
The rule, which does not apply to postgraduate research students, has led to a decline in study visa applications from countries such as Nigeria and India. A March 2024 report by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service highlighted the shift, noting that many prospective students are now seeking admission in alternative destinations.
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
metro
Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr
Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr
Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad, says the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan fasting has been sighted.
The Sultan, who is president of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSIA), said in a broadcast on Saturday night, “Today marks the end of the Ramadan fasting and Sunday, March 30, is the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.”
metro
Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians
Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians
By Dada Jackson
The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has urged Lagosians to embrace proper environmental practices and obey the state’s environmental laws ahead of the Eid-l-Fitr festivities to mark the end of the Ramadan fast by Muslim faithful around the world.
Corps Marshal of the agency, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (retd), sounded the call at the agency’s command headquarters at Bolade-Oshodi.
He said, ‘‘The Ramadan fast is a testament to the willingness of Muslim faithful to adhere to the pillars of their faith and it is enjoined that cleanliness is an important religious practice in all faiths, which is why we admonish Lagosians to imbibe proper waste disposal and keep their environment clean during the celebration.”
Cole also advised Lagosians to make proper use of pedestrian bridges for their safety instead of crossing highways to prevent ‘hit and run’ cases by speeding motorists.
He equally read a riot act to miscreants in the habit of converting pedestrian bridges to sleeping areas which deters Lagosians in transit, pedestrians vowing that anyone caught w be made to face the state Environmental laws as amended
The KAI boss also revealed that the agency had recorded giant strides and would not relent in ridding pedestrian bridges across Lagos of criminal obstructions, traders and hawkers with daily arrests made alongside secured prosecutions by the Courts.
The Corps Marshal also warned Lagosians to desist from street trading, use of Styrofoam pack, hawking in traffic, patronage of cart pushers for refuse disposal, and erection of illegal structures on laybys, setbacks, medians, road verges, kerbs or around public schools in the state.
The KAI head said offenders would be made to face the consequences via prosecution in a competent court of appropriate jurisdiction.
-
Uncategorized1 day agoBreaking: Moon sighted in Saudi, UAE, others, Eid-Fitr holds Sunday
-
metro3 days agoEFCC re-arraigns son of ex-PDP chairman for alleged N2.2bn oil subsidy fraud
-
metro1 day agoRamadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr
-
metro2 days agoFubara reacts as Ex-HOS, Nwaeke accuses him of bombing oil pipelines, Rivers Assembly
-
metro3 days agoWe welcome Gov Makinde’s U-turn on Shari’ah panel – MURIC
-
Opinion2 days agoBarbaric mass burning of innocents in Edo, by Farooq Kperogi
-
Uncategorized3 days agoObasanjo’s position on Rivers emergency rule hypocritical, says Presidency
-
metro2 days agoEx-Rivers HoS wife cries for help over husband’s safety