Children’s Day: Amnesty International Tasks Nigerian Government on Freedom, Education in Northeast

Matilda Omonaiye/

Amnesty International has expressed concerns over children in detention in the Northeastern part of Nigeria and those who are out of school because of endless violence.

In a statement issued to mark the Children’s Day today, the Campaigner, Amnesty International Nigeria, Esther Ikubaje, says, “But as I write to you today, my heart goes out to all the children detained in Northeast Nigeria and caught up in endless violence at the hands of Boko Haram and the Nigerian military.

“They were taken away from their families and had their childhood revoked – they were forced to become child soldiers and child wives, subjected to atrocious violence. They were detained unlawfully, often with adults, in grossly inhumane conditions. They were ill-treated and tortured.

“And now, as they attempt to recover, hundreds of schools remain closed – 75% of children in Borno State are out of school.

“We’re launching a report on the toll of Nigeria’s Northeast conflict on children today…

“Nigeria must swiftly reverse its course and bring redress to children in the Northeast.”