Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported (1) arrest of Professor Richard Soloman Tarfa on 25 December 2019, (2) closure of the Du Merci Orphanage, and (3) demolition order addressed to the Du Merci Centre orphanage dated 29 April, in Nigeria.

The British High Commission in Abuja has raised Professor Tarfa's case with the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria and the Kano State authorities. The UK Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Rehman Chishti MP, has also raised the case at a senior level within the Federal Government. We have stressed the need for the Nigerian Authorities to prioritise the welfare of the children involved. We have also underlined the importance of an open and transparent legal process for Mr Tarfa, in accordance with Nigerian law and international human rights standards.