UK Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch Criticizes Nigerian Police, Describes Nigeria as a “Very Poor Country”

Kemi Badenoch, the Nigerian-British leader of the UK’s opposition Conservative Party, has described Nigeria as a “very poor country” where corruption is widespread, even among the police. In an interview with The Free Press, Badenoch recounted negative experiences with Nigerian law enforcement, including an incident where officers allegedly stole her brother’s shoes and wristwatch. She contrasted this with her positive interactions with the British police, citing a 2004 burglary where they effectively helped recover stolen items.

Badenoch attributed the behavior of the Nigerian police to the country’s poverty, which she said drives people to desperate actions. She criticized the practice of arming police officers, suggesting it often leads to intimidation rather than public service. However, she stressed that such conditions should not influence perceptions of policing in the UK, where professionalism is more prevalent.

The comments add to a series of controversies surrounding Badenoch’s views on her Nigerian identity. In an earlier interview with The Spectator, she stated that she identifies more with her Yoruba heritage than with Nigeria as a whole, expressing a disconnect with northern Nigeria, which she described as a hub for Islamist extremism and Boko Haram. “I identify less with the country than with the specific ethnicity (Yoruba),” she remarked.

Badenoch’s remarks have sparked mixed reactions, with Nigerians in the UK divided over her policy positions and outspoken critiques of Nigeria.

Source: Sahara Reporters, December 15, 2024.