Residents of Borno State have raised alarm after a viral video surfaced showing underage children, believed to be terrorist child soldiers, dressed in full military camouflage in a remote forest
The footage, obtained on Monday, depicts around 18 children lined up in formation, wearing complete military gear and celebrating in the isolated area. While the exact location remains unconfirmed, locals say the language spoken by the children indicates they may be from the Ngoshe axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno South Senatorial District.
Junaid Jibril Maiva, Secretary of the Coalition of Borno South APC Youth Group, described the video as a “ticking time bomb” in a Facebook post, urging urgent government intervention.
“These appear to be child soldiers, possibly from the Ngoshe axis, judging by the language they are speaking. If this is not a ticking time bomb, then I don’t know what is,” Maiva wrote. He added that decisive action is necessary to prevent further escalation: “The government must act deliberately and decisively, or this war risks consuming us all.”
Another social media user, Muhammad Abdulrahman, suggested the children might be hostages, noting the challenges faced by security forces: “A reason the Nigerian Air Force can’t wipe them off overnight; the hundreds of people they are holding hostages,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the children could have been forcibly recruited following recent attacks.
“I have not seen the video, but, categorically, I can tell you from experience that such children are victims that are sometimes forcefully adopted from streets and even schools,” she said. “I’m sure you are aware of the recent attacks where it was said that many women and children were abducted. So, they can just sew uniforms and wear it on them.”
Gambo emphasized that prior to the recent attacks, the Borno State government had made significant efforts to prevent children from being recruited or exploited by armed groups.
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