A UK-based Nigerian, James Akinwande, has taken the pain to get a pair of shoes and a wristwatch for the ones allegedly extorted from Kemi Badenoch‘s brother by men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Mr Akinwande is a lawyer from Ondo State and a UK resident.
This symbolic gesture was in response to Badenoch’s recent story, which appeared to denigrate the Nigerian police and sparked harsh rebuttals from Nigerian government officials and supporters.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, shared a story while answering a question about the trust in the British police, compared it with the Nigerian police who allegedly extorted her brother’s watch and shoes when they were both young in Nigeria.
Badenoch, born to Nigerian parents in the UK, had said, “Giving people a gun is just a licence to intimidate.” Her comments were criticised by some Nigerians, who felt that she was denigrating her homeland.
Response to Badenoch’s Comments
Akinwande’s response to Badenoch’s comments was unique and thought-provoking. He recorded a video of himself buying the new items and took them to the UK Conservative Party headquarters to present them to Badenoch.
He handed over the items to the security personnel at the pedestrian gate.
In the video, Akinwande wrote: “On behalf of every proud Nigerian who felt genuinely hurt by those unfounded disparaging remarks about the Nigerian Police, we ‘buy back’ the stolen shoes and watch!“
Akinwande’s actions were seen as a way of standing up for Nigeria and its people, who felt maligned by Badenoch’s comments. His gesture was also seen as promoting unity and pride among Nigerians at home and abroad.
While some had praised Badenoch for speaking out about her experiences, others criticized her for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Nigeria.
Yet Mrs Badenoch’s criticisms of Nigeria’s police were not entirely in vain. On December 13, shortly after Badenoch’s comments, the Nigerian Inspector General of Police banned arbitrary arrests, detentions, and phone searches by police officers across Nigeria.
In a police wireless message dated December 13, 2024, IG Kayode Egbetokun said there was an urgent need for change because the unlawful actions by some policemen “portray the Nigeria Police Force in a bad light.“
Responding to previous criticisms, Mrs Badenoch had insisted, “I stand by my word on Nigeria.“
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