UK expresses concern over insecurity in Nigeria

Britain has expressed worries about the deteriorating security situation in the country and pledged to help tackle insecurity.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, said London was keen on helping Nigeria win its fight against insecurity.

Speaking at a reception to welcome home the 2019/2020 UK Chevening Scholarship beneficiaries in Abuja on Wednesday, the high commissioner 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 said the UK government had been helping the military with training, campaign planning and how to counter improvised explosive devices.

“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,” the diplomat said. Punch