By Linus Aleke
The Federal Government, United Nations Systems in Nigeria, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, have moved to save, Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), child soldiers and other children encountered during the armed conflict in northeast from prosecution.
This is even as Federal Government (FG), condemned in strong terms, exploitation of children during armed conflict.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, expressed this resentment in Abuja over the weekend, during the signing of agreement between the federal government of Nigeria, the United Nations Systems and the UNICEF Country Office in Nigeria on the Handover Protocol for Children Encountered in the Course of Armed Conflict in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin Region.
The Foreign Minister said: “Inspites of the fact that wars also, affect adults, children are too often the direct, powerless victims of the horrors of atrocities committed against their families, during armed conflict. In each conflict, numerous children are killed, winded and even exploited. It is important to state that in 2003, Nigeria adopted the child right act in order to domesticate the Convention on the Right of the Child.
The Child Right Act of 2003, expands the human rights bestowed to citizens in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as Amended. It is in the determination to ensure that there is a swift implemention of the agreement that the Nigerian government put in place some measures as a matter of priority to secure the rights of the children who are victims of war.
Some of the measures put in place by FG to address this issues include, the dissemination of security agencies order, to the rank and file and the political directive to relevant government authorities on the content and practical implemention of the Protocol.
The second one is on the facilitation of the access to government focal points, and UNICEF to jointly carry out a monthly visit to all security agencies detention facilities, in order to assess the need of children and provide timely care and support to children under security agencies jurisdiction and prepare for their release, rehabilitation and reintegration.
“The third one, is the development of a detailed operational plan, outlining roles and responsibilities for identification of children, the security agencies, cause the process for transfer to civilian authorities into care, family unification, and follow up amongst others.
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The words of hand over protocol, has a practical tools. It is to avoid military detention of children; ensure their rehabilitation, reintegration, and protect their rights. Let me assure you all, that the Nigerian government is fully committed to achieve all that have been mentioned above and to also creat an enabling environment for the children to have a better future.
We wish to also state that the prevention for armed conflict and its consequential adversities is the best way to improve and manage the lives of children in war, and children as victims and also, collaboration with other governments and many other actors including the United Nations and other international organizations who can also contribute to the implemention of the conflict management and peace building programme.
“Today’s event is a clear testimony to this fact. I will like to also very sincerely thanks the United Nations Systems in Nigeria in general and also, the UNICEF Country Office in Nigeria, for their unflinching support to the federal republic of Nigeria in an effort to make the live of citizenry secured”.
Earlier, the Country Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Ms. Christian Munduate, said, the agreement is a joint effort that started since 2018, when the UN Resident Coordinator and the UNICEF representative, worked hand in hand with the government to secure, endorse and sign an agreement to implement a protocol on the hand over of children in contact during military operations by security forces to the state government in the northeast of Nigeria.
According to her, “today’s signing is the result of negotiation and legal validation of the protocol by the government partners. Notably, Ministries of Justice, and Defence.
Our thanks also go to the Nigerian military, especially, the Chief of Army Staff and his team, for the joint review of the protocol to address the key observation on the article 2, with reference to security agencies to allow focal point of UNICEF to access children in custody. UNICEF is very pleased to state that a consensus was reached by extending the period allowed, from 72 hours to seven days after the first contact of children by the military and other security forces.
In addition, we are also, grateful for the strong collaboration that exist between UNICEF, the Borno state government ministry of women affairs and social development, the state security forces and the Nigerian military theatre commander at the Maiduguri level. All these effort really made possible the unconditional release of children in contact during military operations”.
Ms. Munduate said, the UNICEF is encouraged by all the action taken by federal government of Nigeria and the Nigerian military to ensure the protection of children allegedly associated with armed group in contact during military and security operations in the northeast Nigeria.
