UK PLEDGES TO HELP NIGERIA TACKLE INSECURITY
Concerned with the rising cases of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria, the United Kingdom has pledged to help the West African country tackle insecurity.
Speaking at a reception to welcome the 2019/2020 UK Chevening Scholarship beneficiaries in Abuja on Wednesday, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, said “We are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation.
“I mean Nigeria is facing a lot of problems everywhere – in the North-East, terrorism; in the North-West, banditry, kidnapping; in the Middle Belt, the farmers-herders conflict; in the South, the Niger Delta conflict everywhere.
“And the secession movements in the South-East. So, Nigeria is really struggling.”
Laing stated that the UK government had been providing training to the Nigerian military since the Abduction of the Chibok girls and intend to continue to render its services.
“Well, we are here to support and help. We have the military team here, who came here after the Chibok girls were kidnapped actually. We are still here, training the Nigerian military, helping them to do campaign planning, how to counter IEDs.
“So, we are here for a long time. This is a Nigerian partnership. Your insecurity becomes our insecurity if we don’t help you tackle it. So, we are here and we are trying to do our best to support you,” the diplomat said.
James Heappey, the UK’s Minister of Armed Forces recently met with Nigerian Service Chiefs during his visit to the country where he also expressed Britain's readiness to assist Nigeria in tackling the growing insecurity, especially terrorism.
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