The United Nations has welcomed as an “important milestone” the release of 833 children in Northeast Nigeria by the Civilian Joint Task Force. The CJTF is a group formed in 2013 to protect communities and support Nigerian security forces against Boko Haram extremists. “This is an important development for boys and girls of Northeast Nigeria whose lives have been deeply affected by violence and insecurity. “We expect more children to be separated from the CJTF soon,” the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba said. Gamba said while Friday’s release of children is an “important milestone” for the protection of children in Nigeria, she regretted that children in the country’s northeast continue to be subjected to grave violations.

Source: Punch October 12, 2018 18:42 UTC