Boko Haram grabbed global attention two years ago when it abducted nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls in the town of Chibok.<br />Now, it is upping the ante, sending 44 children last year on suicide missions against civilians in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.<br />The overall number of attacks across those countries rose from 32 to 151 in the same period.<br />The development is an unnerving step from a group that has shown its willingness to exploit children, particularly young girls, experts say.<br />But Boko Haram may be deploying children against soft targets like local markets because the international coalition spearheaded by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has become a harder target, and has had some success in liberating territory as well as captive women and children.
