Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Nigerian Government protects (a) religious minorities and (b) the rights of the Igbo people in that country.

This Government is firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief around the world. Religious freedom is protected by the Nigerian Constitution and we regularly discuss with the Nigerian government, at the highest levels, our concern about threats to this right in Nigeria.

The UK fully supports the territorial integrity of Nigeria and we are committed to working with Nigeria to help tackle threats to national security. We are concerned about violent clashes in Nigeria but we do not assess that there is institutionalised persecution of the Igbo or any other peoples by the Nigerian authorities. We will continue to underline the importance of freedom of expression and the rule of law with all parties, including the Nigerian government.