DAILY POST
Almost on a daily basis, children from the ages of five are subjected to beatings, shootings and other forms of maltreatment by gun-wielding militants at their ramshackle, raffia-roofed houses.
At least, in the last five months, there have been three reported cases where the children were shot. Two of them died as a result.
One, a daughter of the Ine Utang fishing settlement in the Dayspring community, Bakassi, was reportedly shot in the arm. Up till today, she is said to be writhing in excruciating pains since there is no medical facility to treat her.
When interviewed a few days ago, the children lamented that the militants do not usually like it when they hesitate to do their bidding.
Chris Akpan is barely ten years old. He looks haggard with tattered clothes on him. Barefoot, he had some sores on his body. Would they be effects of beatings from the militants or some infections?
He and four others said they came on holiday all the way from Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State to visit their parents who stay in the settlement and would return after the Christmas celebration.
“Our parents have stayed here for a very long time. We normally come to stay here with them, and help to fish, too, using a canoe on the big rivers.
“Since we arrived on holiday, militants have disturbed a lot. They come in boats and guns and knives.
“When they arrive, they will forcefully grab all the fish and bags of crayfish caught the previous day from our parents. They will collect money and petrol to power their engine boats.
“For us children, if we were sleeping, they would kick or slap us to wake up and help them bring sachet water or food to eat, otherwise they would shoot you.
“They do this every day. They actually killed two children sometime ago.
