Tension is mounting in Borno State following the circulation of a viral video showing about 18 underage children dressed in military-style uniforms celebrating in a forested area.
In the footage, the children appear fully kitted in uniform and are seen standing in a straight line while jubilating in what looks like an isolated forest.
Although the exact location where the video was recorded has not been confirmed, some residents believe the children may be from the Ngoshe axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno South Senatorial District. This assumption is based on the language reportedly spoken by the children in the video.
Reacting to the development, the Secretary of the Coalition of Borno South APC Youth Group, Junaid Jibril Maiva, described the situation as a potential security threat.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Maiva warned that the presence of children in military-style attire could signal a looming crisis if not addressed promptly.
“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,” he wrote.
He urged the government to take swift and decisive action to prevent a possible escalation of the situation.
“The government must act deliberately and decisively, or this war risks consuming us all,” he added.
Another Facebook user, Muhammad Abdulrahman, suggested that the children seen in the video might be hostages held by insurgents.
“A reason the Nigerian Air Force can’t wipe them off overnight; the hundreds of people they are holding hostages,” he said.
When contacted for comment, the Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the children could be victims who were forcefully taken during recent attacks in the state.
“I have not seen the video, but I can categorically say from experience that such children are victims who are sometimes forcefully adopted from the streets and even from schools,” she said.
Gambo explained that during attacks in some communities, women and children are often abducted and later forced to wear uniforms by armed groups.
“You are aware of the recent attacks where it was said that many women and children were abducted. They can simply sew uniforms and make them wear them,” she added.
The commissioner noted that before the recent wave of attacks, the Borno State government had made significant progress in preventing the recruitment of children by armed groups.
According to her, the state implemented several initiatives, including awareness campaigns, school clubs, community engagements with traditional and religious institutions, and the establishment of children’s parliaments to discourage child recruitment.
She added that the government also introduced free education and other programmes aimed at increasing school enrolment across the state.
Gambo further disclosed that about 200 children were recently rescued from the streets, rehabilitated, and reunited with their families.
“All these efforts contributed to the United Nations delisting Borno from areas where children are recruited into terrorism. We no longer had cases of child soldier recruitment until the recent attacks,” she stated.
Meanwhile, in February, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) raised concerns about a resurgence in the recruitment of children by armed groups in Nigeria’s North-East.
UNICEF Child Protection Manager, Tarek Akkad, revealed that a total of 1,120 children were recruited across the region in 2024 alone.
“In Northeast Nigeria, armed groups continue to recruit and use children, impacting boys and girls in different but equally harmful ways,” the agency said.
According to UNICEF, the figure includes 525 boys and 595 girls recruited by armed groups in the region.
The agency called on state governments in the North-East to intensify efforts to halt the trend and strengthen measures aimed at preventing the mass recruitment of children into militancy.
The Ngoshe community has recently drawn attention following an attack on a military base in the area, during which several civilians were reportedly killed and more than 300 people abducted.
