A cross section of participants at the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children in Maiduguri
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
In a powerful address at the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children in Maiduguri, Deputy National Speaker of the National Children’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Zanna Sonoma, has called on global leaders to prioritize child-centered justice.
The congress, themed “Advancing Child-Centered Justice: Preventing and responding to violence affecting children in justice systems,” brought together stakeholders to discuss critical issues affecting children worldwide.
Sonoma, speaking on behalf of children, emphasized that justice is not just a promise but a duty.
“We are not asking for pity; we are demanding partnership,” he declared. “Justice without children is justice without truth. If justice must be done, it must be done with children shoulder to shoulder.”
The young leader highlighted the plight of children in conflict zones, citing the devastating impact of insurgency on education and childhoods in Borno State.
“We have buried too many futures. We have cried too many nights. We have watched too many children grow up too soon,” he said, urging leaders to make justice for children visible in policies, tangible in schools, and unshakable in communities.
Sonoma expressed gratitude to partners, including the Borno State Government, international organizations like UNODC and UNICEF, and civil society groups, for their support.
However, he stressed that justice is not justice until it reaches the most vulnerable child. “Let us not retreat behind policies printed in ink, while children’s pain bleeds in silence,” he urged.
The event, organized in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crimes, STRIVE, Federal and Borno State Governments, and funded by the European Union, underscores the need for collective action to protect children’s rights and promote justice.
