Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, says her experience with the Nigerian police was an unforgettable one.
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In an interview with The Free Press, a US media outfit, Badenoch said officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) stole her brother’s watch and shoe.
Born Olukemi Adegoke to Nigerian Yoruba parents in the UK, Badenoch’s last name changed after she married a Scottish banker.
She returned to Nigeria, where she grew up, and finally departed for the UK when she turned 16.
Badenoch has drawn the ire of Nigerians — including a rebuke from Vice-President Kashim Shettima — for “constantly denigrating” her homeland.
While not mentioning when the incidents involving the Nigerian police occurred, Badenoch said “giving people a gun is just a licence to intimidate”.
“My experience with the Nigerian police was very negative. However, my experience with the British Police was very positive when I came to the UK,” she said.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us. When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well… I remember the police stole my brother’s shoes and his watch.
“It’s a very poor country. People do all sorts of things. So, giving people a gun is just a licence to intimidate. But that’s not just the problem.”
The politician said her encounter with police in the UK was remarkably different.
“That is not the bar we should use for the British police. When I was burgled, for example, the police were there,” she said.
“They were helpful before they eventually caught the person. This was in 2004… that was 20 years ago.”
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