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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.”
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How Thugs Killed Islamic Teacher in Bauchi Over Political Posters
How Thugs Killed Islamic Teacher in Bauchi Over Political Posters
Residents of Karofin Madaki quarters in Bauchi metropolis were thrown into shock and mourning following the killing of a renowned Islamiyyah teacher in the area, Rilwanu Dauda . Dauda, 42, was allegedly killed on Sunday by two brothers suspected to be political thugs after a quarrel over political posters . Daily Trust gathered that Dauda was stabbed in the stomach with a knife and died on the way to hospital .
Trouble started around 10am on that day after the deceased asked the thugs to remove political posters pasted on a billboard adjacent to his family house . The thugs refused and engaged him in a fight . According to the deceased’s elder brother, Hamza Dauda, the younger of the two thugs struck Malam with a stick while the elder struck him with a knife on the head. The cleric collapsed, and people around intervened to force the thugs to leave the scene . However, the younger thug crossed the road, entered his family house, and returned minutes later holding a knife. He met the late brother at the main gate and stabbed him in the stomach before fleeing. Some neighbours saw him sneak away, and it was only after he had gone that they realised the cleric was bleeding from the injury . He was rushed to the Bauchi State Specialist Hospital, but he was confirmed dead on arrival, having died on the way .
Hamza, who was at work when the incident happened, received a call from a friend informing him of his brother’s death. He described his late brother as someone who “never quarreled with others,” adding: “Unfortunately, look at how he was brutally murdered for no reason” . He called on the government and the police to arrest the killers and bring them to justice, saying: “I want justice in this matter. Everybody knows Malam was not troublesome and he was killed unjustly. His family wants justice. The killers should be arrested and made to pay for their actions” .
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When our reporter visited the deceased’s family house, sympathisers were still trooping in four days after his murder for condolences . Residents, who spoke to Daily Trust, described the late cleric as humble, kind, humane and a gentleman . One of them, Muhammad Aminu, lamented: “I wonder why people no longer value human life. People can kill over a slight provocation. This is unfortunate and something should be done to prevent its recurrence” . He suggested that the thugs may have had a grudge against the deceased, noting that after the fight had ended following intervention, one of the thugs returned to the scene and stabbed him. He described the late cleric as kind, religious, generous, and someone who related well with people, residing with his family along Ibrahim Bako Road .
One of the deceased’s neighbours, Bello Ibrahim, gave further details, stating that the thugs called a colleague who came to the scene and proceeded to paste the poster, resulting in a heated argument, after which one of the thugs brought out a dagger, stabbed the late Ridwan in the chest and fled . Residents rushed out, picked him up, and took him to hospital, but he died on the way .
Bauchi State Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed visited the deceased’s family to offer condolences . The governor pledged to take responsibility for the education of the deceased’s children from primary school through university . He said perpetrators of violent crimes anywhere in the state would have no hiding place, as the government intensifies efforts to safeguard lives and property . He assured the bereaved family that justice would be pursued without fear or favour, and anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law . The governor called on citizens to remain law-abiding and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information to aid investigations .
Confirming the incident, the Bauchi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Nafi’u Habib, said police had commenced investigation . “No stone will be left unturned in the course of our investigation until the killers of the cleric are arrested. We will not relent until we arrest them all,” he said . Asked whether any arrests had been made, the police spokesperson said there had been none but assured that the culprits would surely be arrested and brought to book . He urged the public to always report crimes in their communities, adding that the fight against crime is everybody’s responsibility .
Commenting on the rise in murder cases, a retired Police Commissioner, Muhammad Wakil, attributed the incidents to lack of good moral upbringing, drug abuse, illiteracy, and hatred, among other vices . He said: “It is unfortunate that the majority of our youths are into drug abuse and their level of illiteracy is also a contributing factor. Most of our youths are school dropouts and they also lack Islamic knowledge. They don’t have a sound background. This kind of generation can engage in any crime you can think of. With little money you can persuade them to commit any crime. An empty brain is the devil’s workshop and can engage in all sorts of crimes” . He called for a reflection on how forefathers lived and urged the culture of brotherhood to make these vices disappear .
How Thugs Killed Islamic Teacher in Bauchi Over Political Posters
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Troops intercept foreign courier carrying drugs, alcohol to terrorists in Borno
Troops intercept foreign courier carrying drugs, alcohol to terrorists in Borno
Operation HADIN KAI troops have intercepted a suspected foreign courier allegedly transporting a large consignment of illicit drugs, alcoholic beverages and other prohibited substances believed to be destined for terrorist groups operating in the Lake Chad Islands of Borno State.
The successful operation was carried out by troops of Sector 3, Joint Task Force North East, during a coordinated search mission along the Maiduguri–Monguno highway on Thursday, July 9, 2026. Military authorities said the suspect was intercepted while travelling towards Kwatan Doron Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area, an area close to the Lake Chad Basin that has remained a strategic route used by insurgents and their logistics networks.
According to the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the suspect was identified as Mrs. Rachael Samuel, a 48-year-old Chadian national from Kelo, Chari-Baguirmi Province, Republic of Chad.
Captain Goni disclosed that preliminary investigations indicate the prohibited items were being transported to locations within the Lake Chad Islands, an area that has long served as a stronghold for Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Items recovered during the operation included seven compressed bundles of suspected cannabis sativa weighing approximately 30 kilogrammes, two 10-litre containers of hydromercuric chloride, popularly known as “Suck and Die,” 48 bottles of dry gin, 61 bottles of herbal alcoholic beverages, one mobile phone, two Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, cash and other personal belongings.
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Military authorities said the recovered exhibits are valued at millions of naira, adding that the suspect is currently in military custody while the seized items have been secured pending handover to the appropriate law enforcement agency for further investigation and prosecution.
The military described the interception as another major success in ongoing efforts to dismantle the logistics and supply chains that sustain terrorist operations in Nigeria’s North-East.
According to the statement, intelligence gathered over the years has consistently shown that terrorist groups often rely on illicit drugs, alcohol and other intoxicants to stimulate fighters, suppress fear and sustain violent attacks against both civilians and security personnel.
By intercepting the consignment before it reached its intended destination, the troops disrupted what the military described as a critical support network used by terrorist elements operating within the Lake Chad Basin, a region spanning parts of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon that has witnessed years of insurgency.
The latest operation adds to a series of recent offensives by Operation HADIN KAI targeting terrorist logistics, weapons supplies and cross-border movements. Nigerian troops, supported by the Nigerian Air Force, have intensified coordinated land and air operations across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, leading to the destruction of terrorist enclaves, recovery of weapons, rescue of kidnapped victims and the surrender of several insurgents and their family members.
Security analysts have repeatedly warned that disrupting terrorist logistics remains one of the most effective strategies for weakening insurgent groups. Beyond military offensives, cutting off access to drugs, food supplies, fuel, weapons and financial support significantly reduces the operational capability of armed groups.
The Theatre Command commended the troops for their vigilance, professionalism and commitment to protecting national security. It reaffirmed that operations against terrorists and their collaborators would continue until lasting peace is restored across the North-East.
The military also urged residents to continue providing credible and timely intelligence to security agencies, stressing that public cooperation remains crucial in identifying suspicious movements, dismantling criminal networks and sustaining the gains recorded in the fight against terrorism.
Troops intercept foreign courier carrying drugs, alcohol to terrorists in Borno
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