ABSTRACT
The study investigated the rights of children in internally displaced camps in Northeast Nigeria.
The study used qualitative method in the research.
The study revealed that; the primary responsibility for the protection and assistance of IDPs rests with federal government of Nigeria; the response of the government to the plight of internally displaced children has been inadequate in Nigeria, despite the abuse and exploitation these children experience in various forms; also identified several humanitarian efforts meant to alleviate the conditions faced in internally displaced camp and displaced children.
The study concluded that; the internally displaced children and the response they are receiving both from the government and non-state actors are consequences of the boko haram insurgency in the Northeast Nigeria. The study further recommended that; the government must consider the root causes of armed conflict, whether they be economic, social, political, or religious; More support should be sought from the international community to help internally displaced children; Funds and materials that are donated must not be diverted into personal pockets, because corruption will discourage additional funding; it is advisable that the government policy of using the service of the whistle-blowers to detect those officers who are sabotaging service delivery in the IDPs be enforced at the various camps and the management in charge so that they can live up to the task.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) declares that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights without discrimination” (UDHR, 1948). Thus, children’s rights are human rights or reversely stated, human rights are also the rights of children too. However, the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) adopted in 1990 remains the foremost legally binding treaty protecting the rights of children. During emergencies, such as displacement and conflicts, these rights are often disregarded thereby leading to exposures to physical, psychological and sexual risks that violate their human rights. The situation is even more disturbing as displaced children represent at least half of the population in a conflict zone or during conflict.
Since the civil war that ravaged the country in 1967-1970, Nigeria has not experienced any internal conflict that claimed more lives like the one perpetrated by the Boko Haram terroristic insurgency. The group hailed from the North East of Nigeria. It became well known in July 26-29, 2009 when some cyclists who happened to be Boko Haram members did not comply with the law of wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, they defied the regulations of wearing helmet and the arrest of their group members resulted in staging an attack on the police (Khalid, Islam and Ahmed, 2019). Later, the leader of the group Muhammed Yusuf was apprehended and detained in the police custody but police committed extrajudicial killing against him. They claimed he wanted to escape from the detention cell in July 2009. The group eventually vowed to make the revenge of their leader and of the group members that were killed by the Nigerian security members in 2009.
Since then, the conflict situation in the North-East Nigeria has continued to affect children due to the strategies that this terrorist group employs to bring hostilities closer to the civilian population and into the lives of children. Children need greater protection during armed conflicts than they do during peacetime; they are at great risk of being abused and represent the highest number of casualties of those suffering from international humanitarian and human rights violations in these conflict periods. Children are highly vulnerable to the effects of terrorism for multiple reasons. They depend on adults for their survival needs, including food, water, shelter, and clothing, which makes child-parent separation a real danger during such situations. Besides, children are still developing physically and psychologically. Thus, the consequences of terrorism such as mental trauma and physical injury can have a long-term impact on their development and growth into adulthood” (Olusegun and Ogunfolu, 2019).
The unique vulnerabilities of children to terrorist activities manifest in three broad contexts. Firstly, when families are shattered by terrorist attacks, children are rendered homeless or orphaned (Hagan, 2005). Most times, children who lose their parents or guardian to armed conflict are often stranded, demobilized, tortured, or recruited as child participants in armed internal conflicts or terrorist groups. Secondly, children are increasingly exploited and recruited by terrorist and militant groups to become child soldiers or suicide bombers. Terrorist groups have increasingly adopted this strategy to groom, indoctrinate and access a large pool of children who are easier to indoctrinate and less likely to resist since they do not yet fully understand their morality and mortality. Thirdly, apart from the direct effects of terrorist attacks themselves, government actions aimed to quash militancy and terrorism have on many occasions added to the vulnerability of children (United States Department of State, 2012).
A very salient reality remains that children in IDP camps go through traumatic experiences. The social conditions of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the various parts of the country, particularly in North-East Nigeria have been alarming, running from insecurity to insecurity, which presents a situation of double jeopardy. The security challenges faced by the IDPs in the various camps and out of camps include, among others psychological trauma of loss of families, friends, and properties, and the challenge associated with the responsibility to protect themselves in their various camps. However, little attention has been given to the protection of the children who are victims of various displacement challenges. Therefore, this study seeks to analyze the condition of internally displaced children by focusing on the crisis in Northeast Nigeria. This study seeks to highlight the challenges of effectively protecting internally displaced children in North-East Nigeria with emphasis on relevant human rights law and humanitarian laws that affect children in Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the problem
The Nigerian displacement challenge resulting from terrorism in Northeast Nigeria has become a major concern with grave consequences. The members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, forcibly kidnapped a lot of innocent children and adults while many were killed and some were unaccounted for till date. The kidnapped children were helplessly subdued and kept in the Boko Haram den. Most of them spent years in captivity while some of them were being used for activities against their will but they were rather served the interests of the militants. A significant number of children that were not captured by the militant groups were displaced out of the fear of being caught for similar motives. Some were displaced as a result of the demise of their parents, guardians, or relatives in their presence when they were being terrorized or attacked at gunpoint. Lack of food security, shelter, and a decent life are among the reasons for IDP to take place as they may not survive in their family or rented houses that were already razed or burnt down by the terrorist groups. While the government took the responsibility of providing the temporary shelters put up in form of tents or cabins, several issues have emerged regarding the condition and availability of necessities such as food, water and security that would guarantee the safety of IDPs from violent attacks they experienced in their original communities. There are also cases of shortages of camps. For example, an IDP camp housing 22,000 people in a space built for 10,000 (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, nd). Very significantly, the vulnerability of displaced children is further exacerbated by their deprivation of inclusive education and healthcare in spite of the legal obligation of the government to ensure the enjoyment of fundamental rights.
1.3 Objectives of the study
In furtherance to the goal of this research which has been identified in the study background, the following objectives will be pursued:
- Examine the rights of internally displaced children in Nigeria.
- Investigate the condition of internally displaced children and IDP camps in Northeast Nigeria.
- Determine the challenges displaced children experience with regards to their fundamental rights in Northeast Nigeria.
- Examine both the humanitarian and government response to internally displaced children in Northeast Nigeria.
- Proffer recommendations that will protect the rights of internally displaced children in Northeast Nigeria.
1.4 Research questions
- What are the rights of internally displaced children in Nigeria?
- What are the challenges of internally displaced children and IDP camps in Northeast Nigeria?
- Which of the challenges faced by internally displaced children in Northeast Nigeria has the most impact on their fundamental rights?
- How much of humanitarian and government response have internally displaced children in Northeast Nigeria received?
- How can the rights of internally displaced children in Northeast Nigeria be protected?
1.5 Scope of the study
The study does not intend to be exhaustive and does not assess every aspects of terrorism in Northeast Nigeria. In line with the research objectives, however, priority has been given to displacement of children due to terrorism, the condition of IDPs and how it affects rights of children and, lastly, the nature of government and humanitarian response to internally displaced children in Northeast Nigeria since 2009.
1.6 Methodology
The study adopts a qualitative research approach and a documentary research method to source secondary data for the study. The adoption of primary data was constrained over the facts that the matters related to terrorism and the controversial issues of internally displaced persons in Nigeria. Consequently, public officers may become cautious in granting interview, hence, the study use the secondary data. The study made use of published journal articles, books, government information in gazette, newspapers and magazines, online information and other reliable sources.
1.7 Definition of terms
Terrorism: Terrorism is the deliberate employment of violence or the threat of the use of violence carried out on human beings or properties for the purpose of creating fear in the society and in the government in order to engender a desired response from either or both the society and the government.
Child right: the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care given to minors.
Protection: a legal measure with the intention to preserve a civil liberties and rights.
IDPs: Internally displaced persons
1.8 Synopsis of chapters
Chapter one deals with the introductory part of the work. It introduces the research goal, gives the background of the study, states the research problems and objectives, and enumerates the research questions, as well as the scope and methodology for the study.
Chapter two of the work examines reviews related and relevant literature on the subject, by focusing on the concepts and theories for the research.
Chapter three assesses the rights of internally displaced children and the conditions of internally displaced children and IDP camps in Northeast Nigeria.
Chapter four focuses on the response of government and other humanitarian institutions to the challenges faced by internally displaced children in Northeast Nigeria.
Chapter five concludes the study with a view of providing a summary of findings and recommendations to the problem and challenges identified in the study so as to enhance the living condition of children who are victims of terrorism in Northeast Nigeria.
References
Balogun, A.D., Bin Salleh, M.A. and Ahmad, A. (2020). The Effects of Boko Haram Insurgency on the Internally Displaced Children in Nigeria. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(2), 786-813.
Hagan, J. (2005). Psychological Implications of Disaster or Terrorism on Children – A Guide for Paediatricians. Pediatrics.
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (nd). North-east Nigeria: A massive internal displacement crisis. Available online at: <https://www.internal-displacement.org/features/nigeria-internal-displacement-crisis-conflict-floods> (Accessed 10 October, 2020).
Khalid, N., Islam, D.M.Z. and Ahmed, M.R.M. (2019). Sentrepreneurial Training and Organizational Performance: Implications for Future. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 7(2), 590-593.
Olawuyi, D.S. (2015). Terrorism, Armed Conflict and the Nigerian Child: Legal Framework for Child Rights Enforcement in Nigeria. The Nigerian Juridical Review, 10(2), 1-24.
Olusegun, O. and Ogunfolu, A. (2019). Protecting Internally Displaced Children in Armed Conflicts: Nigeria in Focus. Available online at: <https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1106&context=ndjicl> (Accessed 10 October, 2020).
United States Department of State (2012). Country Reports on Terrorism 2011 – Nigeria, 31 July 2012.
