Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Nigerian counterpart on the decision by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development in Kano State, Nigeria, not to return children to the care of Professor Solomon and Mrs Mercy Tarfa on 19 March 2025.

The Government is aware of a Kano State court ruling instructing the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Social Development to return children removed from Du Merci orphanage to the custody of Professor Soloman Tarfa and Mrs Mercy Tarfa. We have previously raised the case with the Nigerian authorities and stressed the need to prioritise the welfare of the children involved. Enforcing the court ruling is a matter for the Nigerian authorities.