Nigeria: Chibok Abductions

Lord Tebbit Excerpts

Wednesday 14th May 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Tebbit (Con)]

My Lords—

[Noble Lords]

Tebbit!

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Warsi]

The noble Baroness is right: abductions are unfortunately not new in Nigeria, but the scale of the kidnapping at Chibok is clearly shocking. Through DfID, we have been working with Nigeria specifically on the education and protection of girls, especially in the northern region.

[Lord Tebbit]

My Lords—

[Lord Chidgey (LD)]

My Lords—

[Noble Lords]

Tebbit!

[Lord Tebbit]

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that, while we are all horrified and disgusted at the atrocity of the kidnapping of these young girls, Nigeria is no longer a British colony, that the Prime Minister would not wish to intrude upon its internal affairs and that the telephone works both ways between Nigeria and London, so that if the President of Nigeria wishes to talk to our Prime Minister and request help, it is open to him, but we should not intrude upon Nigeria’s internal affairs?