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 rise in Islamic terrorism in Nigeria.

Terrorist attacks in Nigeria have caused great suffering in communities of different faiths and ethnicities. Boko Haram cannot be seen simply as a result of Christian-Muslim tensions and their attacks are often indiscriminate.

The British Government is committed to working with the Nigerian authorities to tackle security problems in Nigeria. We recognise the underlying issues of poverty and inequality, which lead to inter-communal tensions and conflict in Nigeria and we urge political, traditional and religious leaders to work together in order to resolve these issues. DFID are delivering a range of programmes in six of the northern Nigerian states designed to address the drivers of violent extremism and conflict.