Nigeria Armed Forces Institutions Endorse UNICEF Protocol for Protection of Children in Conflict Situation.
The Nigeria Defence Academy NDA and Nigeria Armed forces Command and Staff College Jaji Kaduna State have endorsed a UNICEF Protocol document in their training curriculum for protection of Children who fall victims of conflict situations in the country.
UNICEF Chief of Child Protection Nigeria Mr, Ibrahim Sessay who presented the document to the two Military Institutions said the protocol is aimed at swift transfer of Children Allegedly Associated with armed Groups in their custody to child protection actors for appropriate support services.
He stated that the protocol agreement had earlier been signed between the federal Government and the United Nations since September 2022 on issues concerning the protection of children based on international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The UNICEF Chief explained that the protocol offers Children Allegedly Associated with Armed Conflict an avenue to leave armed forces and armed groups and receive the care, protection, and reintegration support they needed.
Mr. Ibrahim Sessay applauded the Nigeria Army stating that since the agreement was signed in 2022, no child had stayed for more than a week from the time of encounter with the Nigeria Army to the point of release.
“The children and even women with children are also released by the military to a competent civilian authority, which is basically the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development of the States Government”.
“If you look at children that are unconditionally released, as victims in the first place, their best interest is being put into action. And now we are looking in terms of strength, the institutional and technical capacity of the Nigerian army”
Receiving the document, Deputy Commandant of The Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji Rear Admiral Aniefiok Uko, said the college has a package on international and humanitarian law which would be delivered to the students.
He therefore said the college accepted the protocol since it has already been endorsed by the government and assured that the college would continue the process of teaching its officers, directing them on how to apply the process and procedures.
Rear Admiral Uko added that the protocol applied directly to the 662 students on course in the college who are commanders in the field.
At the Nigeria Defence Academy, the Commandant, Major General John Ochai maintained that the Armed Forces aligned itself with Federal Government position on the protocol and will strictly abide by the document
He added that the principle behind the document is the protection of civilians which has being a key procedure in the Army operations.
“The officers under this training Institution will be equiped with the protocol to ensure that women, children and all civilians are protected. The safety of women and children is something we consider paramount in our operations”.
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