The Boko Haram Insurgency In Nigeria: A War On Children By Debbie Ariyo
The news that over 200 school children were last week abducted by the
Boko Haram terrorist group in North East Nigeria makes for depressing
reading. Pupils sitting their end of school examinations were rounded
up, packed in vehicles and taken away by Boko Haram insurgents after
their school was invaded in a 4 hour operation. The abduction story is
not only depressing; the Nigerian military issued a statement that
almost all the girls have been rescued. This proved to be a lie as the
school principal gave a statement to the contrary. It now appears that a
few of the girls were able to escape with the rest still held captive
by the terrorist group. Of course the military later issued a statement
to retract their earlier one. So far no one knows the fate of the
missing 200 or so girls.
Yet the abduction of girls by Boko Haram is not the only instance in which children have been caught up as major victims in the conflict plaguing that part of Nigeria. It is only an indicator of how well children have become the key casualties of the insurgency. Boko Haram’s mantra that “Western Education is a sin” ensures that educational institutions in the North Eastern part of Nigeria – its stronghold - have become key targets of attacks and invasion. But its evil acts on children are not limited to schools nor the impact limited to the North East. Last week, in Abuja the Federal capital, at least 75 people were killed when terrorists detonated a bomb at a central bus garage in Nyanya. That means that invariably, some children have become orphans overnight. Last year, the UN headquarters was also bombed by the terrorists with people killed and maimed – some who will no longer be able to provide for their families as a result of their injuries. In the early hours of 25 February 2014, the terrorists invaded Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State and slaughtered at least 50 school pupils, many of whom were asleep at the time. On the 6th of July 2013, they attacked another government school at Mamudo, also in Yobe State and killed over 40 pupils. In September 2013, the terrorists also attacked Gujiba College of Agriculture, slaying pupils and teachers in the male dormitory. The Baga massacre of over 200 men, women and children in April 2013 was a major tragedy of the Boko Haram insurgency. But the greatest single tragic act was in Dogo Hawa, Plateau State, over 500 people were massacred in one cruel go – with a high number of child victims involved.
So far, Boko Haram have killed over 5,000 people since it commenced its terrible campaign of calumny against the Nigerian people in 2010. Many of the victims are children. Many children have lost their parents and relatives. These children will become or have become victims in other ways – for instance, many will be prey to human traffickers as they are homeless and parentless with no one to cater for their needs. Others will become reabsorbed into the terrorist world as fighters or killers in order to be able to survive. The Boko Haram insurgency has disrupted the education of millions of children in that part of Nigeria and has destroyed the lives of millions of children too.
So what is the role of the Nigerian government in all of the above? The saddest part is that very little action is on the ground to help protect children from the nefarious activities of Boko Haram. Even though there is a system of emergency rule in the areas where the terrorist are active, they are still able to operate virtually unhindered. They attack schools and other places, spending hours to rape and kill – yet the Nigerian military is unable to either prevent such attacks or even counter them in any way. Basically, Boko Haram has so far had a very easy access to attack and kill children in their schools with little or no protect offered by the government. Aside this, virtually nothing is being done to rehabilitate or rehouse victims of the attacks. People are left to their own devises to survive their ordeal and move on with their lives in whatever way possible.
Yet the whole world keeps silent about the atrocities going on against children in Nigeria. Hundreds, possibly thousands of children have become victims of the Boko Haram insurgency. Children are doubly the real victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, having been maimed, killed, orphaned, enslaved and terrorised in different ways. They are victims of their own government’s inability to offer them any form of support or protection. That is the real tragedy of the Boko Haram terrorism – the fact that children are not only caught up in this senseless conflict or insurgency – but that their own government has failed to fulfil its role as the protector of its own citizens.
The fact that schools in North East Nigeria can no longer function appropriately nor guarantee the safety of children is a forgone conclusion. Unless the government can send in troops to protect children, it is not only senseless but an act of cruelty to keep schools opened – only for children to be massacred and abducted by terrorists. It is a gross act of irresponsibility on the part of the Nigerian government to put children at such risk of harm. The safety of the children in North East Nigeria is paramount. As long as the government is unable to guarantee their protection, then unfortunately alternative forms of education need to be made available, at least in the interim. In the meantime, let us hope that the campaign of calumny against children by Boko Haram can be at the very least curtailed by the government.
The news that over 200 school children were last week
abducted by the Boko Haram terrorist group in North East Nigeria makes
for depressing reading. Pupils sitting their end of school examinations
were rounded up, packed in vehicles and taken away by Boko Haram
insurgents after their school was invaded in a 4 hour operation. The
abduction story is not only depressing; the Nigerian military issued a
statement that almost all the girls have been rescued. This proved to be
a lie as the school principal gave a statement to the contrary. It now
appears that a few of the girls were able to escape with the rest still
held captive by the terrorist group. Of course the military later issued
a statement to retract their earlier one. So far no one knows the fate
of the missing 200 or so girls.
Or maybe we do know. We know the fate of girls who are usually caught
up in conflict situations all over the world. In the past, in conflict
zones like Sierra Leone, Liberia, Uganda and other places, girls who
were abducted were turned into sex slaves or forced to “marry” their
abductors. Their main role was to serve their masters in every way
possible. They cook, clean and are forced to have unprotected and
endless sex with their abductors. They are forced to have babies – who
are later groomed as children to become child soldiers to continue the
war and kill people. They become indoctrinated and are forced to partake
in the carnage of killing people. This singular act of mass abduction
of children has shifted the Boko Haram insurgency from a middle of the
road uprising to a possible longer term conflict situation in Nigeria.
It is obvious that with the success of this initial mass abduction of
girls, other operations of similar nature are bound to follow and other
schools will be attacked with girls abducted and enslaved.Yet the abduction of girls by Boko Haram is not the only instance in which children have been caught up as major victims in the conflict plaguing that part of Nigeria. It is only an indicator of how well children have become the key casualties of the insurgency. Boko Haram’s mantra that “Western Education is a sin” ensures that educational institutions in the North Eastern part of Nigeria – its stronghold - have become key targets of attacks and invasion. But its evil acts on children are not limited to schools nor the impact limited to the North East. Last week, in Abuja the Federal capital, at least 75 people were killed when terrorists detonated a bomb at a central bus garage in Nyanya. That means that invariably, some children have become orphans overnight. Last year, the UN headquarters was also bombed by the terrorists with people killed and maimed – some who will no longer be able to provide for their families as a result of their injuries. In the early hours of 25 February 2014, the terrorists invaded Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State and slaughtered at least 50 school pupils, many of whom were asleep at the time. On the 6th of July 2013, they attacked another government school at Mamudo, also in Yobe State and killed over 40 pupils. In September 2013, the terrorists also attacked Gujiba College of Agriculture, slaying pupils and teachers in the male dormitory. The Baga massacre of over 200 men, women and children in April 2013 was a major tragedy of the Boko Haram insurgency. But the greatest single tragic act was in Dogo Hawa, Plateau State, over 500 people were massacred in one cruel go – with a high number of child victims involved.
So far, Boko Haram have killed over 5,000 people since it commenced its terrible campaign of calumny against the Nigerian people in 2010. Many of the victims are children. Many children have lost their parents and relatives. These children will become or have become victims in other ways – for instance, many will be prey to human traffickers as they are homeless and parentless with no one to cater for their needs. Others will become reabsorbed into the terrorist world as fighters or killers in order to be able to survive. The Boko Haram insurgency has disrupted the education of millions of children in that part of Nigeria and has destroyed the lives of millions of children too.
So what is the role of the Nigerian government in all of the above? The saddest part is that very little action is on the ground to help protect children from the nefarious activities of Boko Haram. Even though there is a system of emergency rule in the areas where the terrorist are active, they are still able to operate virtually unhindered. They attack schools and other places, spending hours to rape and kill – yet the Nigerian military is unable to either prevent such attacks or even counter them in any way. Basically, Boko Haram has so far had a very easy access to attack and kill children in their schools with little or no protect offered by the government. Aside this, virtually nothing is being done to rehabilitate or rehouse victims of the attacks. People are left to their own devises to survive their ordeal and move on with their lives in whatever way possible.
Yet the whole world keeps silent about the atrocities going on against children in Nigeria. Hundreds, possibly thousands of children have become victims of the Boko Haram insurgency. Children are doubly the real victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, having been maimed, killed, orphaned, enslaved and terrorised in different ways. They are victims of their own government’s inability to offer them any form of support or protection. That is the real tragedy of the Boko Haram terrorism – the fact that children are not only caught up in this senseless conflict or insurgency – but that their own government has failed to fulfil its role as the protector of its own citizens.
The fact that schools in North East Nigeria can no longer function appropriately nor guarantee the safety of children is a forgone conclusion. Unless the government can send in troops to protect children, it is not only senseless but an act of cruelty to keep schools opened – only for children to be massacred and abducted by terrorists. It is a gross act of irresponsibility on the part of the Nigerian government to put children at such risk of harm. The safety of the children in North East Nigeria is paramount. As long as the government is unable to guarantee their protection, then unfortunately alternative forms of education need to be made available, at least in the interim. In the meantime, let us hope that the campaign of calumny against children by Boko Haram can be at the very least curtailed by the government.
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