At least 83 children have been used as human bombs since January in the north east this year, four times higher than the number of children used in bomb attacks in all of last year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned.
Only 27 of the children were boys; 55 of them were girls aged less than 15 years, and one was a baby strapped to a girl.
“The sex of the baby used in the explosion was impossible to determine,” UNICEF said.
“The use of children in this way is an atrocity. Children used as ‘human bombs’ are, above all, victims, not perpetrators.”
It warned of increasing “cruel and calculated” use of children, especially girls as human bombs in the north east.
It said use of children in bomb attacks creates suspicion and fear of children who have been released, rescued or escaped from Boko Haram hold.
“As a result, many children who have managed to get away from captivity face rejection when they try to reintegrate into their communities, compounding their suffering,” UNICEF said.
