Three children have been confirmed dead, while five others were injured, following an explosion that occurred on Mblu bridge in Ngala town, Borno state.
The explosion occurred on Thursday near the Cameroon border.
The victims were said to have been playing with an explosive device, which they had reportedly mistaken for a toy.
The United Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday, condemned the development.
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“The avoidable deaths of the children – as young as 12 years – who were playing on Mblu Bridge in Ngala, is yet another sad reminder that children remain direct and indirect targets of the protracted conflict wracking north-east Nigeria. While three children have sadly lost their lives, three others are in critical conditions while two other children sustained mild injuries,” the statement reads.
“In 12 years of protracted conflict in the north-east, thousands of children in the region have been killed, maimed, abducted, displaced, and experienced multiple violations of their human rights. UNICEF is deeply worried that conflict-affected children continue to be casualties of war.”
Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria representative, called on all conflicting parties to protect children and keep them safe at all times.
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“These deaths are unacceptable. All sides to the ongoing conflict must protect children and prioritise their wellbeing at all times. Playing fields, schoolyards and communities must be safe and habitable for children,’’ Hawkins said.
“Children’s lives should not be at stake in a conflict they didn’t start. We must address the shrinking safe spaces for children and ensure that children – especially those already affected by conflict – are protected and have a chance to survive and fulfill their potential.”
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