Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to halt the killing and displacement of people, and the destruction of churches, in the Nigerian states of Borno and Adamawa by Boko Haram; what is their assessment of the amount of territory which has been seized by Boko Haram; and what is their assessment of how many people have been killed or displaced and how many churches destroyed.

The Government is committed to working closely with Nigeria and the international community to tackle the threat posed by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. At the London Ministerial meeting on 12 June, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), announced a substantial new package of UK military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria. This package is being delivered in Nigeria and includes tactical training and advice to Nigerian units deployed against Boko Haram. This year, the Department for International Development doubled investment in north east Nigeria conflict resolution programmes to help make communities safer.

We believe that more than 3,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram this year. The UN assesses that the violence in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states has displaced 1.5 million people. Boko Haram has targeted both Christian and Muslim communities and sites, including churches, but reliable information on how many is not available. The UK welcomes recent reports of gains by the Nigerian Armed Forces as they seek to push back Boko Haram in north east Nigeria.