§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the inter-religious conflict that has erupted in the Jos area of Nigeria. [10687]
§ Mr. BradshawFrom 7 to 12 September there was serious fighting in the Jos area where ethnic (Hausa/Berom) and religious (Muslim/Christian) divisions coincide. Religious leaders on both sides have told us they consider the fundamental cause of the clashes to be traditional tribal rivalries about land and local politics.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Nigerian Government on the imposition of Sharia law in parts of the country. [10686]
§ Mr. BradshawOur High Commission in Abuja has regular discussions with a cross-section of authorities and civil society about developments in northern Nigeria, including the imposition and implementation of Sharia law.
The constitutionality of the introduction of the Sharia penal code by individual states is currently the subject of a Nigerian court case.