Viral Video Shows Suspected Child Soldiers In Borno Forest

Residents of Borno State are expressing alarm after a video surfaced showing young children, suspected to be terrorist child soldiers, dressed in full military camouflage in a remote forest.

The footage, obtained on Monday, shows about 18 children standing in formation, fully kitted in combat uniforms and celebrating in the isolated area. While the exact location has not been confirmed, locals say the language spoken by the children points to the Ngoshe axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno South Senatorial District.

Junaid Jibril Maiva, Secretary of the Coalition of Borno South APC Youth Group, described the video on Facebook as a “ticking time bomb” and called for immediate government intervention.

“These appear to be child soldiers, possibly from the Ngoshe axis, judging by the language they are speaking. If this is not a ticking time bomb, then I don’t know what is,” he wrote, adding that decisive action is needed to prevent further escalation: “The government must act deliberately and decisively, or this war risks consuming us all.”

Another social media user, Muhammad Abdulrahman, suggested the children might be hostages, noting that the Nigerian Air Force faces challenges because the armed groups may be holding hundreds of civilians.

When contacted, Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said many of the children could have been forcibly recruited during recent attacks.

“I have not seen the video, but I can say from experience that such children are often victims who are forcefully taken from streets and schools. Following the recent attacks, it’s possible they were made to wear uniforms,” she explained.

Gambo also noted that before the latest wave of attacks, the Borno State government had made significant efforts to prevent children from being recruited or exploited by armed groups.

💔💔SAD FOOTAGE: 💔💔
Ugly sight of child-T€rror!sts😭 forcefully wearing military uniform of our slain-soldiers😭. They are young, innocent and ignorant of what they are doing.

This is the most devastating video that tells a deeply and most painful story of failure on the… pic.twitter.com/Yd6sqc0YeF

— PATRIOTIC SOJA ($TSIR-MUNCHAN) (@Pressman2040) March 9, 2026