By Ahmad Umar
Gombe (Nigeria) – In an effort to end violence against children, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is collaborating with Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) in the fight against child abuse in the country.
Drissa Yeo, Officer-in-charge, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, disclosed this on Sunday during a sensitisation campaign organised for JNI leaders towards ending violence against children in Gombe state, northeast Nigeria.
Yeo, who was represented by a Child Protection Specialist, Ladi Alabi decried the appalling statistics regarding violence against children as shown by a recent national survey indicating that over half of children first experience violence between the ages of 6 and 11.
He called on the JNI to exercise its great influence by mobilising its members, policy makers, traditional rulers, community leaders, parents among others to join in the campaign to end violence against children.
“When we leave here today, I hope that each one of us, especially you as religious leaders from Northern states, will leave with absolute commitment and energy to take action to ensure that all children in Nigeria can grow up free from violence,” he said.
Responding, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, Secretary-General of the JNI, said child upbringing is a collective responsibility of all irrespective of race and culture.
Aliyu noted that from inception, Islamic form of child upbringing is built on the provisions of the glorious Qu’ran and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He said the Islamic Tarbiyyah stands out from other forms of upbringing because it is all encompassing consisting of training of the heart, purification of the soul, development of the senses and building of the body.
The JNI secretary-general added that child upbringing in Islam entails ensuring attainment of good conduct, better disposition and best standing among mankind.
“Islam’s general approach to children may be summarised in a few principles. First, it is divine injunction that no child may become the cause of harm to parents (Qur’an, 2:233),” he said.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/02/18/news/nigerian-islamic-group-tasks-government-find-solution-security-challenges/
