NewStats: 3,262,611 , 8,177,691 topics. Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2025 at 02:22 AM 1z563m

The case of missing children in Borno State has sparked public outcry, following a disturbing video of a young boy confessing to undergoing military training in a forest alongside dozens of other children.

Some residents who spoke with The PUNCH on Sunday recounted the agony of their missing loved ones and expressed the fear that the rise in child disappearance cases in the state may be linked to insurgent recruitment efforts.

The development comes as the #BringBackOurGirls movement renewed calls for the Nigerian government to release the findings of the fact-finding committee on the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.

With 78 girls still uned for more than a decade later, the group urged transparency and ability in the search for those still missing.

A video of a boy, around 10 years old, confessing to undergoing arms training along with approximately 30 other yet-to-be-identified children in a forest near Ajiri in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, went viral on social media at the weekend.

The video, posted by Zagazola Makama on X and reportedly recorded on January 22, 2025, captured the boy demonstrating his knowledge of handling firearms.

He confessed that he and other children of similar age were receiving military drills deep inside the forest.

“They are training us on weapons handling. Ali Shehu, Umar, Alhaji, and Malam Oro are the ones training us. We are at least 20 to 30. We are all young boys; some are bigger than me, while I am older than some of them,” the boy stated.

To his claims, the child was handed an AK-47 rifle, which he expertly stripped and reassembled with near-perfect precision.

He also unloaded and reloaded a magazine, displaying an alarming level of proficiency in handling the weapon.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, some of the residents lamented the increasing rate of missing children in the state, an occurrence they alleged might be connected with the trending video.

One of the residents and a mother of two in Mafa, a location close to the Ajiri forest allegedly said to be the camping area for the children, Aisha Ali, confirmed the disappearance of her six-year-old child for over three years without trace.

“Around February 2022, my last born, Mustapha went missing. At the time, he was just six years old. It was during the late evening. All of a sudden, his whereabouts could not be traced, the last thing I ed was seeing him eating while I was going to a friend’s place around 3 pm.”

She added, “Upon my return, I learnt he stepped out. We searched and searched. Just like a joke, we could not find him again. In fact, we just concluded he is dead because his whereabouts remain a mystery we can’t explain.”

Another resident in Maiduguri, the state capital, Muhammad Mamman, expressed concern as he narrated a recent experience.

“Around early last year, my brother lost his child, not that the baby girl died. She was just four years or so at the time. She just went missing. We immediately announced on the radio, yet she was nowhere to be found to date. Either dead or alive, we can’t explain,” he said.

To corroborate these experiences, an announcer in one of the popular radio stations in Borno State, who pleaded not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said in two weeks, at least one announcement on a missing child would be made.

“We have always announced cases of missing children. I can say at least we see such cases once every two weeks. This is alarming,” he said.

Other residents who spoke with The PUNCH called on the government for immediate action, by combing the surrounding forests for missing children.

“With that video, security agencies must rise to the task. These places are not unknown. It may and may not, but we can’t continue to hear cases of missing children on local radio and a boy came out to say that he and others have been camped in a forest receiving training, yet the government will be comfortable,” Umar Abdulrahman, a resident said.

When ed, the state police command said there had been at least one reported case of missing children every week in the state.

In an interview, the spokesperson of the command, Nahum Daso, said many such cases had been resolved in the past with a few still ongoing.

“Yes, there have always been cases of missing children. In aggregate, we can say at least one per week.

“Often, we do get the children back. I don’t have the current statistics with me, but we have reunited many missing children with their families.

“Most times when children get missing like that, the suspicion has always been that they have been kidnapped or for other reasons. However, compared to other places, the cases recorded here are very low,” he said.

Reacting to the video, Daso dismissed the recency of the claims, saying the act of using children as foot soldiers was in the past.

“You know, some of these clips are mostly old ones. From us, we don’t have any threat in regards to maybe children being used as child soldiers, but it used to be in the past. For over a decade, we have not recorded any cases like that,” he said.

Also reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Brig Gen Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq (retd.), said such operations were usually perpetrated by of the Islamic State of West Africa.

“What you saw on that video is not part of the known activities of Boko Haram. That is the trademark of ISWAP.

“They take small almajiri children who are suffering and malnourished, get them to the bush, feed them and take care of them before training and turning them into combatants.

“Does that boy look malnourished? No. It is the evidence of good living they are having there,” he said.

When asked how the state government would address the claims by the suspect that other children were still undergoing training, he said, “You know, the war is still on and the state is using the non-kinetic model while the army is carrying out operations.

“We must acknowledge that the army is doing its best. However, I must tell you that one thing the army is seriously considering is the issue of collateral damage.

“If the Air Force visits these locations and detonates bombs, considering the little children there, the whole of Nigeria will rise and say that they have burned children. So these are some of the challenges.

“As for us, we rely on the army for this type of operation. Our Civilian t Task Force cannot handle it, especially as it concerns ISWAP. We relied more on military strength,” he added.

Highlighting the challenges to tackling the uprising, he said the use of traditional methods in fighting the insurgency was a serious setback.

“War is no longer fought as it was in the olden days. There is a need for technology that will prevent the soldiers from moving about in the bushes with legs and vehicles, to minimise casualties,” he added.

https://punchng.com/borno-missing-children-rise-as-bharam-steps-up-recruitment/?amp

Naija people, make una judge this matter, my tired is tired.

To those who are quick to raise their voice when there is collateral damage, this was what the aide to the Governor said, a confirmation of what the CDS has always been saying that terrorists use civilians as human shield.

“If the Air Force visits these locations and detonates bombs, considering the little children there, the whole of Nigeria will rise and say that they have burned children. So these are some of the challenges.

-Kiss the truth!

I'm just here to read comments

Ok

Children in the north are like houseflies flying around garbage.

Dem just dey born pikin scatter everywhere without resources

Just born pikin, drop am for street
Go marry another wife, born pikin drop am for street. The cycle never ends.

Now you have loads and loads of bastards and vagabonds roaming aimlessly begging for food to eat.

Then the Governor will spend 900 million to sponsor Mass wedding of poor people to go and reproduce more children that will be dumped im the street.

Kemi was 100% right
Not concern us with North Nigeria

They are a completely different backward specie of human beings that desrve to have a different universe of their own.

Funny enough, this people know themselves. When they are ready to stop the menace, they also know what to do.

ANAMBRA

Radical Islam is a Cancer.

Islam has done so much damage and destruction to humanity than good. There was a peaceful earth before the invention of Islam. When Islam came the whole of earth no longer know peace

TimeManager:
Naija people, make una judge this matter, my tired is tired.

To those who are quick to raise their voice when there is collateral damage, this was what the aide to the Governor said, a confirmation of what the CDS has always been saying that terrorists use civilians as human shield.




-Kiss the truth!

Shut up for once

-kiss the truth

Family business

Know Islam no peace.

No Islam know Peace

TimeManager:


https://punchng.com/borno-missing-children-rise-as-bharam-steps-up-recruitment/?amp

Make I carry my fish comot before they recruit me .

Even if they like let them recruit new born babies, their end is near and anyone fighting for them must go down no matter the age

Elrufai is not smiling 😐

He want USAID FUNDS back badly 😢

Ok

TimeManager:
Naija people, make una judge this matter, my tired is tired.

To those who are quick to raise their voice when there is collateral damage, this was what the aide to the Governor said, a confirmation of what the CDS has always been saying that terrorists use civilians as human shield.




-Kiss the truth!

Lack of intelligence! Must you drop bomb?
A drone can take out the leaders of these camps without hurting the children.

All this fake political black mail should just stop if north can't stop this let them face it alone, what's all this nonsense gor how long will all this lie continue

Shettima d boko haram apologist happened to dem

Bring Back our Boys should trend, unfortunately the party of propaganda are the ones in power

Then, you were foolishly surporting Sharia laws, thinking you wanted to fight southerners and bringing Obasanjo govt down, today, Obasanjo forgotten he ruled naija,but, the mustard seed you planted during his time, has since grown and hunting you till date.


Meanwhile,most disturbing thing about this is, .......despite the menace the so-called sharia of yesteryears giving the north today, few foolish Yoruba miscreants still want to impose the doctrine down the throat of people.

If you have money now, japa before you get trapped! Na so I talk am reach...

TimeManager:


https://punchng.com/borno-missing-children-rise-as-bharam-steps-up-recruitment/?amp

Federal government is Boko Haram

TimeManager:


https://punchng.com/borno-missing-children-rise-as-bharam-steps-up-recruitment/?amp

Our intelligence gathering is on all time low. What a Country. Even civilians have more intel than our all our arm forces combined.

That alimajiri system of education does not make any sense at all
They should control birthing

Just divide this country..... The north can't keep using barbaric religious war and way of life to destroy themselves....And then start running to destroy areas that are peaceful...... This is pure nonsense