Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent attacks by militant groups on Christians in Benue State in Nigeria.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 3 November to Question 85661, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

Nigeria is witnessing rising conflict and insecurity, including violent extremism and intercommunal violence. Violence in Nigeria's North-East is driven by terrorist groups including Boko Haram, who target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views. These attacks are distinct from the intercommunal violence across Nigeria's Middle Belt. The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria to address these challenges by working with Nigeria's security forces, and through peacebuilding efforts to tackle the root causes of violence. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we are supporting Nigeria to tackle insecurity and promote human rights. This includes facilitating civil-military cooperation within North-East communities and utilising UK experience to strengthen the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Additionally, the UK's Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme ('SPRING') works to address the root causes of intercommunal violence across Nigeria's Middle Belt, through collaboration with local communities to support productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists.