Two years after Chibok

As the world observes the sorrowful milestone of the 2nd anniversary of the kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, northeast Nigeria; a UNICEF report reveals that the number of children involved in ‘suicide’ attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger has risen sharply over the past year, from 4 in 2014 to 44 in 2015. Even more worrying is the fact that more than 75 per cent of the children involved in the attacks are girls.  

The UNICEF report - Beyond Chibok, released two years after the abduction of the schoolgirls shows alarming trends in four countries affected by Boko Haram over the past two years:

• Between January 2014 and February 2016, Cameroon recorded the highest number of suicide attacks involving children (21), followed by Nigeria (17) and Chad (2).

• Over the past two years, nearly 1 in 5 suicide bombers was a child and three quarters of these children were girls. Last year, children were used in 1 out of 2 attacks in Cameroon, 1 out of 8 in Chad, and 1 out of 7 in Nigeria. 

• Last year, for the first time, ‘suicide’ bombing attacks in general, spread beyond Nigeria’s borders. The frequency of all suicide bombings increased from 32 in 2014 to 151 last year. In 2015, 89 of these attacks were carried out in Nigeria, 39 in Cameroon, 16 in Chad and 7 in Niger. The calculated use of children who may have been coerced into carrying bombs, has created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion that has devastating consequences for girls who have survived captivity and sexual violence by Boko Haram in North East Nigeria.

Manuel Fontaine - UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, stated: “Let us be clear: these children are victims, not perpetrators... Deceiving children and forcing them to carry out deadly acts has been one of the most horrific aspects of the violence in Nigeria and in neighbouring countries.”

Children who escaped from, or were released by, armed groups are often seen as potential security threats, as shown in recent research by UNICEF and International Alert. Children born as a result of sexual violence also encounter stigma and discrimination in their villages, host communities, and in camps for internally displaced persons. 

“As ‘suicide’ attacks involving children become commonplace, some communities are starting to see children as threats to their safety,” said Fontaine. “This suspicion towards children can have destructive consequences; how can a community rebuild itself when it is casting out its own sisters, daughters and mothers?” 

Beyond Chibok assesses the impact, conflict has had on children in the four countries affected by Boko Haram. The report notes that: 

• Nearly 1.3 million children have been displaced;• About 1,800 schools are closed – either damaged, looted, burned down or used as shelter by displaced people;

• Over 5,000 children were reported unaccompanied/separated from their parents.

UNICEF is working with communities and families in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger to fight stigma against survivors of sexual violence and to build a protective environment for former abductees. 

In a related development, Amnesty International commenting on the 2nd year memorial of the abduction of the Chibok girls, noted that the Nigerian government must do all it can to secure the safe release of the remaining hostages.

Over the past two years, Amnesty has released evidence that the Nigerian security forces had prior warning of the abduction which they failed to act upon.

Recent news reports have suggested that Boko Haram has offered to release the Chibok schoolgirls if a ransom is paid.

Amnesty’s Nigeria Director, M.K. Ibrahim, said: “Those guilty of inflicting this unspeakable suffering must be brought to justice, once and for all.

“Few of us can begin to comprehend the suffering of parents who have not seen their daughters for two years.

“In addition to the Chibok schoolgirls, we also remember all those abducted, killed and displaced. Two years on, the Chibok girls have come to symbolise all the civilians whose lives have been devastated by Boko Haram.

“Muhammadu Buhari’s government should do all it lawfully can to bring an end to the agony of the parents of the Chibok girls and all those abducted. They should do more to bring back our girls, guarantee the protection of civilians in the north-east of the county and ensure access to education for children in the region.”