Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Government of Nigeria regarding recent reports of attacks by armed Fulani militants on Christian communities; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures to protect communities at risk of religiously motivated violence.

The UK condemns violence against civilians of all religions in Nigeria and regularly raises issues linked to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) with the Government of Nigeria. Nigeria remains a focus country under the UK's FoRB strategy. Through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), we are supporting Nigeria to tackle insecurity and protect civilians. Additionally, the UK's Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme is helping to address the root causes of violence, strengthen local institutions and support peaceful coexistence. In May, the UK's Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith visited Nigeria. During this trip he engaged with senior government representatives, religious leaders and civil society to support a more nuanced, locally grounded approach to addressing violence affecting communities of all faiths. The UK will continue this engagement to promote FoRB and protect the rights of all communities.