Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the efficacy of UK Government support for Nigerian policing and security services over the last 12 months in (a) preventing killings, kidnappings, and robberies, (b) protecting religious figures and sites from targeted attacks (c) preventing the arming of civilians by state governments, and (d) preventing vigilantism and revenge attacks.

I [Minister Ford] regularly raise rising insecurity and its impact on the Nigerian people with the Nigerian authorities. During my February visit, I discussed this issue with the Vice President, Foreign Minister and several State Governors. I [Minister Ford] also discussed insecurity with National Security Advisor General Monguno, at our Security and Defence Dialogue in February.

Through our Security and Defence Partnership with Nigeria, we are working together to respond to rising insecurity, including kidnappings, criminality, and intercommunal violence. Examples of our support over the past 12 months include: supporting the training of approximately 1100 members of the Nigerian Army on prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; supporting the delivery of a Protection of Civilians course for 30 officers from the Nigerian Army; and provision of mentoring and capacity-building support to 40 officers from the Anti-Kidnap Coordination Unit. We have also launched a UK supported "Strengthening the Delivery of Peace and Security in Nigeria" initiative, to support dialogue and peacebuilding efforts in conflict-affected areas of Northern and Southern Nigeria.

We will continue to encourage and support the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.