The Police College, Kaduna, has commenced a three-day capacity-building workshop on the prevention of the recruitment and use of children in armed violence, aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of security personnel to protect children affected by conflict.
The workshop,was organised by the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security in partnership with the Government of Canada.
Declaring the workshop open, the Commandant of the Police College, Kaduna, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Dansabo Idi, commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Training and Development, DIG Isyaku Muhammad, for supporting the hosting of the programme.
He urged participants to make the most of the training by acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to detect, prevent, and respond effectively to the recruitment and exploitation of children by armed groups.
In her remarks, CP Tabitha Bako described the workshop as timely and strategic, stressing that protecting children from being drawn into armed violence is both a professional responsibility and a national priority in the current security environment.
She noted that equipping security personnel with child-sensitive approaches would strengthen efforts to prevent grave violations against children and improve responses during security operations.
Speaking on behalf of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, the head of the delegation, retired Superintendent of Police (SP) Nsa Effiong, reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to partnering with security institutions to promote child-sensitive, rights-based, and proactive approaches to preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed violence.
Other members of the Institute’s delegation included CSP Hillary, retired CSP Femi, and ASP Rebecca.
Participants at the workshop were drawn from the Police College, Kaduna State Police Command, the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), the Special Protection Unit (SPU), and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit.
The workshop is expected to enhance the capacity of police officers to integrate child protection principles into security operations and contribute to safeguarding vulnerable children from exploitation during armed conflicts.