Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Nigeria about the large-scale killing targeting the Christian community in Benue State in Nigeria on 13 June.

The UK Government has not yet had any conversations about the violent attacks on 13 June. However, on 10 June, UK officials met with the member of the House of Representatives for a constituency in Benue State to discuss the root causes of insecurity in Benue state. In addition, the UK regularly engages with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), and the Office of Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) on conflict in Nigeria's middle belt. During my visit to Nigeria between 28-30 May, I raised Freedom of Religion and Belief and the root causes of insecurity in discussions with Nigerian counterparts, including the Foreign Minister and Deputy Speaker.