Bandits recruiting child soldiers in Nasarawa, NOA Director says

From Abel Leonard, Lafia

As security continues to be a challenge to some parts of the country, the Nasarawa State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, has called for intensive public enlightenment on the recruitment of child soldiers by bandits in Nasarawa.

Recall that Over the years, different regions of Nigeria have been trying to end the troubles of insecurity bedevilling them particularly kidnapping, banditry and other terrorist attacks for one cause or the other.

Despite government’s commitment to containing the security challenges more continue to happen leading to recruitment of child soldiers to support success stories of the terror groups.

State Director of the Agency, Mrs. Priscilla Gondu-alluor made the call on Thursday during a courtesy visit on Breeze FM, located at Maina Estate, behind Correctional Service head office, Jos road Lafia.

This development she said is not far away from the objectives of the Nasarawa State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency to enlighten the public on conscious efforts to stem the tide of insecurity in the state and the nation.

Mrs. Priscilla Gondu-alluor stressed that the recruitment of child soldiers is taking alarming dimension in some parts of the country, stressing that the agency requires the unflinching support of the media to fight the trend.

Explaining lack of education, poverty and humanitarian problems as some critical factors, Gondu-Alluor enjoined parents to pay more attention on their wards, insisting that child soldiering portends great danger to the nation.

The State Director of the National Orientation Agency, who was in company of heads of departments in the agency, enjoined politicians to dwell more on issue-based campaigns to realise the aim of democracy. She, however, implored electorates to stay away from election violence.

Responding on behalf of the management of the Breeze 99.9FM, the station’s head of News and Current Affairs, Edwin Philip, maintained that the station would sustain its drive on curbing cyber bullying, election violence, assuring the State Directorate of the NOA of continued enlightenment of the citizenry.

He said government has a duty to frontally end insecurity in the country, stressing that with dedication to service insecurity will be contained.

According to the Save the Children International, in 2018, over 65000 children were recruited as child soldiers for the purpose of suicide bombing, sexual exploitation and domestic service among others.