Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the situation in South East Nigeria in the context of reports by the Igbo Elders Council that over 5,000 Igbo youth have been killed and over 10,000 others are detained arbitrarily in camps and reports from civilians of ongoing mistreatment as a result of an ongoing special security operation in that region.

The UK Government condemns all incidents of violence in Nigeria. We are concerned by the increasing levels of violence in the South East. We encourage reconciliation and constructive dialogue between the many ethnic groups and communities that make up and contribute to the strength and diversity of Nigeria, and for all to play their part in stopping rising insecurity and violence. We are working in Nigeria to promote intercommunal and interfaith dialogue, and continue to call for solutions that address the underlying causes of violence. During my visit to Nigeria in April, I met the President's Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, and the Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, to discuss insecurity. I raised the importance of protecting all communities across Nigeria.