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6 days ago
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Shortly after British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch shared comments about the Nigerian police on Saturday, netizens began recounting their experiences on Sunday.
Badenoch, who has previously sparked controversy with her remarks about Nigeria, 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.”
Reacting to her comments on the social media platform X, some users shared their personal encounters, although these accounts are yet to be independently verified by PUNCH Online.
A user identified as Daughter_Of_Richard recounted an incident in 2021 when she and her friends were arrested shortly after celebrating her birthday. She said, “In 2021, I was arrested 10 minutes after my birthday. They picked up my friends and me while we were walking home. There were three of us. They dropped us off and went out to pick up other people. That night, they made about four trips, picking people up to extort bail money.”
Similarly, Tee (@lutosinGBELA) shared a distressing story from 2007. She alleged that was arrested with four others, adding that they were detained by the police in Ikeja, Lagos. According to her, their only offence was parking in front of a bank.
She wrote, “In 2007, five of us were arrested and taken to Ikeja GRA Police Station, where we spent the night simply because we parked in front of GT Bank on Allen Avenue. We were told we had parked there because we were about to rob the bank.
“Only four of us were locked up — one was left out because he looked too corporate. Unbeknownst to us, he was released to find funds for our release. Thanks to an influential friend of ours, who owned the car in the first place, we were eventually freed after his uncle made a phone call.”
UkpemeAbasi Essien (@BlaiseEssien) shared another shocking incident involving police officers in Akwa Ibom State. He narrated how a cultist hired five uniformed officers to assault a school principal over an expulsion.
He wrote, “A cultist went to my brother’s school with five police officers to beat up the principal for an expulsion in Ikono, Akwa Ibom State. N/B: They were in uniform. The man was made to kneel under the sun in front of the school with his phone and other teachers’ phones seized. Fear police ooo!”
Meanwhile, Ibrahim M (@ibrah_shuwa) recounted his ordeal, alleging that he was detained without cause. He said, “The Nigerian police abducted me too. My only ‘crime’ was standing by the roadside around midnight — despite there being no curfew. Even after showing them my NYSC ID card, I was forced to spend an entire day at their station. I genuinely despise them.”
Another user, Precious (@precious_tagy), described being humiliated and threatened for his financial decisions.
He wrote, “The police stopped me and asked why ‘a small boy like me’ would pay 100k for a flight ticket. They slapped me in the face and pointed a gun at me like a criminal. Anywhere people are dragging a police officer, please wake me up. I must be there. Wicked people.”
English (US)