BRITISH Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, known for her controversial comments about Nigeria, recently recounted her unpleasant encounters with the Nigerian police.
In an interview with The Free Press, which has been circulating since Saturday, December 14 2024, Badenoch was asked whether she trusted the British police.
In response to the question, Badenoch stated that her experience with the Nigerian police was very negative, contrasting it with her first positive encounter with the police in the United Kingdom (UK).
She claimed that the police in Nigeria would rob them.
“I do. My experience with the police in Nigeria was very negative, and coming to the UK, my first experience with the police was very positive. The police in Nigeria would rob us.
Narrating an experience of the her younger brother with the Nigerian police, she said: “I remember the police stealing my brother’s shoes and his watch. It’s a very poor country, so people do all sorts of things and giving people a gun is a license to intimidate.” Badenoch stated.
Badenoch, also contrasted her experiences with the UK police, and recounted how they responded efficiently when her home was burgled in 2004, ultimately apprehending the culprit.
She recalled, at the time, the police were effective in catching criminals but added they appear now overburdened with responsibilities.
It would be recalled that during the 10th Annual Migration Dialogue, Vice President, Kashim Shettima had criticised Badenoch for disparaging Nigeria after becoming the UK Conservative Party leader, suggesting she “remove the Kemi from her name” if she lacked pride in her origins, while Badenoch defended her stance, asserting he was not a PR representative for Nigeria.
Conversely, in a document making rounds online, during her 2010 campaign for a seat in the British parliament, Kemi Badenoch appealed to the Nigerian community in the UK, emphasising her Nigerian heritage and pledging to enhance the country’s image through her role in British politics.
But during her 2022 bid to succeed former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, she backtracked and criticised Nigerian politicians for misusing public funds for personal gain.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, she described her upbringing in Nigeria as marked by fear and insecurity in a nation plagued by corruption.
In a subsequent interview with British media after becoming the Conservative Party leader, Badenoch stated that she wanted to prevent the UK from facing the challenges that drove her to leave Nigeria.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org