Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the situation in the south-east region of Nigeria.

The British Government is concerned by the violence in south east Nigeria but we do not assess that there is institutionalised persecution of the Igbo or any other peoples by the Nigerian authorities. The UK fully supports the territorial integrity of Nigeria and President Buhari's commitment to work for a secure and prosperous Nigeria. We are committed to working with Nigeria to help tackle threats to national security and the underlying causes of instability. We echo President Buhari's calls for calm and reconciliation between the many ethnic groups and communities that make up and contribute to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.