Nigeria: Chibok Abductions

Lord Chidgey Excerpts

Wednesday 14th May 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Tebbit]

My Lords—

[Lord Chidgey (LD)]

My Lords—

[Noble Lords]

Tebbit!

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Warsi]

My Lords, the Government accept that this matter has to be led primarily by the Nigerians, but it is quite right that we make offers of support, as we did right from the outset. However, it is for the Nigerian Government to accept those offers of support.

[Lord Chidgey (LD)]

My Lords—

[Lord Hughes of Woodside (Lab)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Warsi]

I think, my Lords, that I answered that question in a previous answer.

[Lord Chidgey]

My Lords, Nigerian Cabinet Minister Tanimu Turaki has said that,

“dialogue is a key option”,

in bringing this crisis to an end and that the issue can be resolved only outside of violence, yet his colleague the government information agency director Mike Omeri has said that authorities would,

“use whatever kind of action”,

it took to free the Chibok girls, and that a military operation with foreign help is possible. Given that the issues surrounding western education in Borno state arise from the Sokoto Caliphate, which fell under British control in 1903, what assistance is the UK considering in finding a long-term solution to these issues?

[Baroness Warsi]

My Lords, we have been working bilaterally through our regional CT co-ordinator, defence support, the high commission in Abuja, a small British military advisory training team, our own proscription of Boko Haram in July last year and with international partners to find a long-term solution, but I hope that the very clear message that we can send from this House today for those girls—from Abigail to Amina, from Hana to Halima—is simply this: bring back our girls.