Nigeria

(asked on 8th July 2014) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department plans to offer to Nigeria in tackling the threat of Boko Haram.


Answered by
 Portrait
Mark Simmonds
This question was answered on 15th July 2014

The UK is playing a leading role in helping Nigeria to tackle the terrorist threat from Boko Haram and related group Ansaru, working closely both with the Nigerian authorities and international partners. The UK proscribed Boko Haram in July 2013.

Following the abduction in April of the Chibok schoolgirls the Prime Minister offered a package of support including: tactical advice and training for the military to help counter terrorism; military air surveillance capacity and intelligence support to help try to locate the girls; £1 million towards the UN Safe Schools initiative. The Foreign Secretary hosted a Ministerial meeting on security in Nigeria on 12 June in London. The meeting delivered agreements from Nigeria, neighbouring countries and international partners on improved security, intelligence cooperation, and commitment both to coordination of development work in the region and to empowerment and education of women.

We are also working with Nigeria on a range of judicial and security projects to improve military capacity, policing, access to justice and prosecution of terrorists. All UK counter terrorism work is subject to the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) process.

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