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From street corners to armed conflicts, experts warn that poverty, broken homes, greed, and societal neglect are turning vulnerable children into instruments of violence, trafficking, theft, cybercrime, and terrorism across Nigeria and beyond
At exactly 6:30 a.m., 13-year-old Musa stood barefoot beside a busy highway in Kano, clutching a nylon bag filled with sachet water instead of schoolbooks. A black SUV slowed beside him. A man rolled down the tinted window and handed him ₦2,000 to “deliver a package” across town. Musa did not know the package contained stolen phones. He only knew his mother had not eaten since the previous day.
Three hours later, police officers arrested him.
While the adults behind the operation disappeared into the crowd, Musa became the face of a crime he barely understood.
Across Nigeria and many parts of the world, thousands of children like Musa are increasingly being used in criminal activities ranging from drug trafficking, armed robbery, cybercrime, street gangs, prostitution, kidnapping, ritual practices, smuggling, and terrorism. What was once seen as isolated delinquency has now evolved into a frightening social crisis that experts describe as “the commercialization of childhood vulnerability.”
According to UNICEF millions of children remain exposed to violence, exploitation, abuse, and manipulation, especially in conflict-prone and economically disadvantaged communities. UNICEF reports that six out of every ten Nigerian children experience one form of violence before the age of 18.
Security analysts say criminal syndicates increasingly recruit minors because children attract less suspicion, receive lighter punishments under the law, and are easier to manipulate emotionally and psychologically.
In the dusty settlements of northern Nigeria, children are reportedly used as couriers for drugs and illegal weapons. In urban centers like Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja, some minors are lured into internet fraud networks popularly known as “Yahoo operations.” Others are recruited by gangs to spy, steal, or participate in violent attacks.
Even more disturbing is the use of children in armed conflicts.
UNICEF revealed that more than 3,500 children were recruited and used by non-state armed groups in northeastern Nigeria between 2013 and 2017 Many of them were between 13 and 17 years old.
Some served as fighters, informants, cooks, and messengers. Others were used as suicide bombers.
In one of the darkest chapters of the insurgency crisis, UNICEF reported that dozens of girls, some younger than 15, were used as “human bombs” in attacks across the Lake Chad region.
“These children are victims, not perpetrators,” UNICEF stated while condemning the practice.
Human rights advocates insist that many of these children are trapped between survival and exploitation. Some are abducted. Others join criminal groups because of hunger, homelessness, abuse, or the absence of education.
Reverend Samuel Adeyemi, a child advocate in Abuja, described the situation as “a moral collapse that reflects the failure of families, communities, institutions, and leadership.”
“When a child carries a gun instead of a Bible or a textbook, society must ask itself difficult questions,” he said.
For many observers, the crisis is deeply tied to poverty and family instability. In overcrowded slums and displacement camps, children often grow up witnessing violence as a normal way of life. Without parental guidance or economic opportunities, many become easy targets for manipulation.
Psychologists warn that children used in criminal operations often suffer severe emotional trauma. Many are exposed to violence, addiction, fear, and emotional abuse at critical stages of development.
Dr. Hauwa Ibrahim, a sociologist and youth development specialist, explained that children recruited into criminal networks rarely begin as hardened criminals.
“Most of them start as vulnerable children looking for acceptance, survival, or protection,” she said. “Unfortunately, adults weaponize their innocence.”
Religious leaders have also joined the growing calls for urgent intervention.
The Holy Bible repeatedly emphasizes the sacredness of children and the responsibility of society to protect them. In the book of Matthew 19:14, Jesus Christ declared: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Christian leaders say these scriptures underline the divine responsibility of parents, governments, schools, and religious institutions to nurture children with love, discipline, education, and moral guidance rather than exposing them to crime and violence.
Yet, despite these moral teachings, reality continues to paint a tragic picture.
In many correctional facilities across Nigeria, children are reportedly detained alongside adult offenders, exposing them to even deeper criminal influence. Recent reports indicated that thousands of minors have passed through adult custodial facilities over the years, raising concerns about abuse, torture, and lack of rehabilitation.
Legal experts argue that while some minors commit offenses, many are themselves victims of exploitation under international law.
The International Labour Organization recognizes the use of children in illegal activities as one of the worst forms of child labor.
Barrister Chidinma Okafor, a child rights lawyer, said prosecution alone cannot solve the problem.
“You cannot arrest your way out of a social disaster,” she explained. “A child used for crime needs rehabilitation, education, psychological support, and reintegration, not only punishment.”
Community leaders are also urging stronger monitoring systems, especially for out-of-school children.
Nigeria continues to battle one of the highest rates of out-of-school children globally, a condition experts say fuels child exploitation and recruitment into criminal activities. Fear caused by kidnappings and insecurity has further worsened school attendance in some regions.
Meanwhile, social workers say the digital age has introduced new dimensions to child criminal exploitation. Criminal gangs now reportedly use social media to recruit teenagers into cybercrime, online scams, cultism, and trafficking networks.
Parents are therefore being encouraged to pay closer attention to their children’s friendships, online activities, emotional well-being, and sudden changes in behavior.
Despite the grim reality, there are growing signs of hope.
Humanitarian organizations, churches, mosques, and advocacy groups across Nigeria are launching rehabilitation and educational support programs for vulnerable children. In the northeast, hundreds of children formerly associated with armed groups have been released and reunited with their families through reintegration programs supported by international agencies.
Education campaigners believe quality education remains one of the strongest weapons against child criminal exploitation.
“When you educate a child, you reduce the power of criminal recruiters,” said education activist Grace Nnaji. “Every child rescued from the streets is a future rescued for the nation.”
Analysts insist that the fight against child exploitation must go beyond emotional speeches. They say governments must invest in education, social welfare, youth empowerment, mental health support, and stronger child protection systems.
For Musa, the boy arrested with stolen phones, life remains uncertain. After spending weeks in detention, a local charity intervened and enrolled him in a rehabilitation center where he now learns tailoring and basic education.
Asked what he wants to become in the future, he lowered his eyes and whispered softly:
“I just want to be a good person.”
His answer echoes the silent cry of millions of vulnerable children around the world, children who were never born criminals, but were pushed toward darkness by hunger, neglect, conflict, greed, and broken systems.
Until societies choose to protect childhood instead of exploiting it, the streets will continue to produce victims disguised as offenders, and the future of nations will remain dangerously at risk.
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