nigerian militants using children as human bombs
LAGOS (AFP) — Nigerian militants have used 83 children — including a baby strapped to a girl — as “human bombs” since the beginning of this year, according to Unicef.
The UN body expressed extreme concern about the appalling increase in the cruel and calculated use of children, especially girls, for terrorism in northeast Nigeria. This year saw a 400 percent increase in child bombers compared to last year.
“The use of children in this way is an atrocity. Children used as ‘human bombs’ are, above all, victims, not perpetrators,” Unicef said.
“In addition to the baby who was also strapped to the back of a girl carrying a bomb, the youngest child we know who was used as a human bomb was just 10 years old,” Porter told USA Today.
He said 127 children have been used since January 2014, 19 of those under the age of 10. But some believe the use of extreme tactics are a sign of desperation by the militant group, which is unable to attack military targets.
“Few years ago, they were targeting headquarters of armed forces in the capital Abuja, but they don’t have this capacity anymore. They are choosing soft targets and using children and women to terrorise the society” said Carl LeVan, a professor of African politics at American University.
Levan, who visited militant-hit Adamawa state in northeastern Nigeria last September, said his trip would not have been possible when the militant group was strong.
He said Boko Haram had never been able to leverage local support for their cause as they use coercion to meet their goals.
“Boko Haram just reached a point where their objectives have become obscure and ambiguous. Other terror groups like al-Qaeda had clear objectives but this group has lost sight of its objective,” he added