Boko Haram grabbed global attention two years ago when it abducted nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls in the town of Chibok.
Now, it is upping the ante, sending 44 children last year on suicide missions against civilians in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
The overall number of attacks across those countries rose from 32 to 151 in the same period.
The development is an unnerving step from a group that has shown its willingness to exploit children, particularly young girls, experts say.
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.
