Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) justice for victims and (b) protection for at-risk communities in the Middle Belt.

The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria address security challenges, including intercommunal violence in the Middle Belt, through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). The UK-Nigeria SDP works with Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against civilian communities. As part of this dialogue, we previously welcomed a commitment from Nigeria on timely, effective and human rights compliant investigations of, and prosecutions for, terrorism. Additionally, through our Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme (SPRiNG) the UK is providing up to £38 million over five years from 2024 to 2028 to help tackle the root causes of intercommunal conflict, including security, justice, and natural resource management challenges.