Nigerian regional militia frees nearly 900 children used in war
Unicef says move is a ‘step in right direction’ for protection of children’s rights
A regional militia allied with Nigerian government forces has freed nearly 900 children it had used in the war against Islamist Boko Haram insurgents, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has said.
The move brought the total number of children freed to more than 1,700, a Unicef statement said. Non-state armed groups embroiled in the decade-long conflict against Boko Haram recruited more than 3,500 children between 2013 and 2017 in Nigeria’s north-east, it added.