Army releases 223 children cleared of ties with Boko Haram terrorists

  The Nigerian Army has released no fewer than 223 children, including 10 girls from its administrative custody and Maiduguri Maximum Security Prison after they were cleared of suspected ties with the Boko Haram sect.

Some of the children had been missing for about four or five years, with many presumed dead by their families.

They were released to the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Maiduguri yesterday.

In a statement issued by UNICEF revealed that the children would immediately enroll in a programme that would help them reintegrate into their communities, reengage with their families and take the first steps towards creating a new life and means of livelihood for themselves.

UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins pointed out that their release was a huge step forward and one to be welcomed and celebrated, adding, “They deserve to have a normal childhood–and now require our full care and support to reenter the lives that were so brutally interrupted by the devastating conflict.”