Residents in Borno State are raising alarms after a video circulating on social media appeared to show underage children dressed in military-style camouflage in a remote forest.
The footage shows about 18 children lined up in full combat attire, chanting and celebrating in what appears to be an isolated woodland.
Although the precise location has not been verified, residents say the language spoken in the clip points to the Ngoshe axis of Gwoza Local Government Area (LGA) in Borno South.
In a Facebook post, Junaid Jibril Maiva, secretary of the Coalition of Borno South APC Youth Group, described the images as a serious warning sign and urged authorities to intervene swiftly to prevent further escalation.
Another social media user, Muhammad Abdulrahman, suggested the children may not be fighters but captives, arguing that their presence could explain why the Nigerian military has struggled to launch decisive air strikes in the area.
Responding to inquiries, Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the children could be victims of recent attacks rather than voluntary recruits.
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Gambo explained that armed groups often forcefully take children from streets and schools and later dress them in uniforms.
She revealed that the state government had, before the latest violence, invested heavily in preventing child recruitment through awareness campaigns, school-based programmes, engagement with traditional and religious leaders, and free education initiatives.
The commissioner added that hundreds of vulnerable children had been rehabilitated and reunited with their families, efforts she said contributed to Borno being removed from the United Nations (UN) list of areas linked to child recruitment.
In February, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) noted armed groups in the North East continued to recruit children, reporting that 1,120 boys and girls were enlisted across the region in 2024 alone.
UNICEF further urged state governors to intensify preventive measures and disrupt recruitment networks.
The renewed fears come amid heightened insecurity around Ngoshe, which recently drew national attention after an attack on a military base that left civilians dead and more than 300 people abducted.