Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with Nigerian authorities about the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls; and what assistance they are offering to secure their safe return.

The UK Government strongly condemns the abduction and continued captivity of children by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) in North East Nigeria, and has repeatedly called for their release. This includes the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, around 90 of whom are understood still to be missing, as well as Leah Sharibu, who has remained in Islamic State West Africa captivity since 2018. The UK Government has raised Leah's case with the Government of Nigeria, and I will continue to raise this important issue in my future engagements with them. More broadly, we continue to support the Government of Nigeria to tackle insecurity and prevent further kidnappings, which includes support to Nigeria's anti-kidnap cell, through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.