Nigerian police rob those they are meant to protect - Kemi Badenoch launches new attack

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Conservative Party, has doubled down on her anti-Nigeria trope by sharing her negative experiences with the Nigerian police.

Her latest comments came in an interview with The Free Press, where she was asked whether she trusted the British police.

In response, Badenoch said, “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.

“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.”

“They took his shoe and his watch?” the interviewer exclaimed in shock.

Badenoch continued: “It’s a very poor country. People do all sorts of things. So, giving people a gun is just a license to intimidate. But that’s not just the problem. That is not the bar we should use for the British Police. When I was burgled, for example, the police were there. They were helpful before they eventually caught the person. This was in 2004, that was 20 years ago.”

Badenoch's comments rile up Nigerians

The Conservative leader has caught a controversial figure among many Nigerians following her remarks about the country, perceived as ill-motivated, exploitative and patronising, intended to bolster her popularity among the British public.

During her campaign to become the leader of the UK opposition party, Badenoch told the harrowing experiences of her time in Nigeria, where she spent her childhood before leaving for the US at age 16.

She claimed to have a “very tough upbringing” in Nigeria, describing her background as "middle-class" but claiming "being middle class in Nigeria still meant having no running water or electricity, sometimes taking your own chair to school."

Last week, Vice President Kashim Shettima called the British politician out, urging her to remove Kemi from her name if she was not proud of her country of origin.

Shettima said Nigeria is proud of Badenoch despite her efforts at denigrating her country of origin.