Borno: Group calls for education support for 500 teenagers of missing persons

By Ahmed Ahmed

The Initiative for the Well-being of Displaced and Missing Persons has appealed to the Borno Government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and wealthy individuals to support the education of over 500 vulnerable teenagers affected by missing parents and breadwinners.

Mr Kassim Mohammed, President of the initiative, made the appeal in an interview with the newsmen on Monday in Maiduguri.

Mohammed said the affected teenagers, all below 17 years, were facing serious challenges, with some having dropped out of school following the disappearance of their parents or breadwinners.

He said many of the children were left without adequate care, guidance and means of livelihood, forcing some of them to roam the streets.

“Some of these children have nobody to guide or support them until our organisation came in to identify their plight.

“We are calling on the Borno Government, associations, NGOs and other well-meaning individuals to support these vulnerable children to return to school.

“They need our support to acquire education and skills so that they can have a sense of belonging and hope for the future,” he said.

Mohammed said the organisation had been seeking assistance from relevant organisations and partners to provide support for the affected children.

He stressed that education and skills acquisition would provide the teenagers with opportunities to become self-reliant and reduce their vulnerability.

Also speaking, Mr Noel Adjoumani, Deputy Protection Coordinator, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Nigeria, said Borno had more than 11,000 missing persons.

Adjoumani described missing persons as one of the most profound humanitarian consequences of armed conflict, violence, disasters and migration.

He said such crises could separate families within minutes, leaving individuals unaccounted for and families in anguish over the fate of their children, spouses and parents.

He noted that some families could remain uncertain about the whereabouts of their loved ones for years, thereby exposing children and other dependants to heightened vulnerability.