#PNNE-Mentoring (Taiwo Akinlami): Personal Safety/Self-Protection from Recruitment into Terrorist Groups (3)

My dear young friends, sure you are doing great today. I had a fun-filled weekend preaching the Gospel According to Child Protection to patents and teachers. Oh, did I tell you, I was in a leading secondary school at Ikeja, Lagos State sharing some of the principles we have been sharing here for a while now. The multitude of the pupils rejoiced and were empowered.

I am sure you too are empowered today as we continue our discussion on how to protect yourself from being recruited into terrorist groups. Let me begin today by convincing you that one of the leading terrorist groups in the world today has made successful entry into Nigeria. The Will, a United States online medium on March 4, 2015, published the shocking report that one of the sons of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais had joined ISIS after moving from Nigeria with his two wives and children in order to help fight alongside ISIS. Though the son is said to be 41-years, the fact is that ISIS is already recruiting from Nigeria.

If they could recruit a man with two wives and children, it goes without saying that children will be nothing but easy preys. CNN recently reported that Boko Haram is offering ISIS gateway to West Africa and the possibility of Al-Shabaab joining the unholy alliance. If this report is anything to go about, it therefore means that Boko Haram, who has already perfected the art of recruiting children, may become a feeder, formidable and effective recruitment body, poised to export Nigerian children, across all social divides to Iraq and Syria.

At this point, my dear and precious young friends, I want to help you to understand how the terrorist groups choose the victims of their radicalization. Permit me to quickly unfold the profile of the children and the social factors, which make it are easy for terrorist groups to recruit:

• Emptiness: when a teenager is empty, he/she lacks identity, value and character contents. He/she has not been trained and disciplined to discover his/her identity, the values to represent and the character to imbibe. sustain and defend. He/she is not trained to discover and defend his/her self-worth. Such child/teenager becomes an adventure seeker in a bid to fill the emptiness within. When such child/teenager goes to the internet or social media platform, he/she is like a city without walls, which accommodates all, the good, the bad and the ugly.  When a child/teenager, who is empty, now becomes thirsty or hungry, every bitter thing becomes sweet and every rubbish becomes filling. Such teenagers are easy preys to all destructive forces like drug addiction, promiscuity, terrorism and others.
• Anger: when a child/teenager suffers abuse, he/she is dehumanized. He/she loses capacity for compassion and seeks carry out a revenge mission on the abuser, the society and the world, which watched unconcerned when he/she was being abused.

I think I should stop here and continue next week to continue to share with you the profile of children and young persons, who fall for the deception of the terrorist group.  Please note that I am available on this platform to interact with you and answer your questions. Do have an INSPIRED week. Stay SMART!

Taiwo Akinlami is a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, foremost Child Protection Specialist, Consultant to UNICEF, governments, and other leading national and international organisations on Child Protection, Independent Legal and Social Regulatory Expert on Child’s Rights and Responsibilities Issues, Legal Enlightenment & Development Enthusiast, Researcher, Social Empowerment Advocate, Author, Blogger and an accredited facilitator of the British Council School Leadership Program. Website: www.taiwoakinlami.com│Blog: www.taiwoakinlami.wordpress.com│Twitter: @taiwoakinlami