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 role of the Nigerian armed forced in the alleged ethnic cleansing of riverine states by the Fulani militia.

We have seen no evidence of collusion by the Nigerian Armed Forces in inter-communal violence between settled farming communities and Fulani pastoralists. It is essential that all action taken by the Nigerian Armed Forces and security services is in accordance with International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. We welcome President Buhari's commitment to prioritise ending the violence, and echo his calls for calm and reconciliation between the many ethnic groups and communities that make up and contribute to the strength and diversity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.