Outrage Over Children Handling Guns in Borno State

A video circulating on social media has sparked outrage across Nigeria, depicting children, some estimated to be around nine years old, dressed in military-style uniforms and handling firearms in a forest area of Borno State. The footage shows dozens of children lined up, performing drills and chanting in what appears to be a paramilitary training session.

Security analysts suggest that this video indicates a troubling pattern of child recruitment by terrorist groups operating in the northeast, particularly Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The children’s uniforms resemble those of the Nigerian military, raising suspicions about the source of the military equipment.

Local sources indicate that the video features children from the Gwoza local government area, which has recently experienced renewed attacks from insurgents. Human rights advocates have condemned this development as a grave violation of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that recruiting children into armed conflict is a serious abuse.

The Borno State government has stated that these children are victims rather than participants.