UK Police Officer Faces Probe After Advising Nigerian Women To Avoid Reporting Husbands

UK Police Officer Faces Probe After Advising Nigerian Women To Avoid Reporting Husbands

A resurfaced video circulating on social media shows a Metropolitan Police officer allegedly advising a group of Nigerian women not to contact the police about issues involving their husbands, instead urging them to “manage it.” The incident, which occurred in 2018 at the Divine Restoration International Church in Camberwell, UK, has drawn significant criticism and led to an investigation by the police force.

The video captures the officer, speaking in both Yoruba and English, addressing a largely female congregation from the church’s pulpit. While discussing topics such as knife crime and parental influence, the officer made controversial remarks suggesting that some Nigerian women, after arriving in the UK, act “rudely” toward their husbands and should avoid involving the police in domestic matters.

The footage has now been referred to the Metropolitan Police’s professional standards unit, as advocacy groups express outrage. Afruca, a children’s safeguarding charity focusing on African communities, lodged a formal complaint, arguing that the officer’s comments could deter victims of domestic violence from seeking protection.

Debbie Ariyo, Chief Executive of Afruca, told the UK Mirror: “[The officer said], ‘Do not call the police on your husband, but manage it.’ When I heard it, I was furious. What does that mean? If a woman is being abused, physically or emotionally, you’re saying she shouldn’t seek police protection because it would disrupt the household?”

Ariyo highlighted the broader impact of such remarks, particularly the way they minimize the experiences of Black women in domestic abuse cases. She pointed out that despite making up a smaller percentage of the population, 43% of femicide victims in 2022 were Black women.

She also criticized the officer’s failure to recognize the UK’s Domestic Abuse Act of 2021, which prioritizes victim safety across all communities, noting that the comments run counter to the law and the broader fight against domestic violence.

Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh responded to the incident, emphasizing that the comments made during the informal talk in 2018 do not represent the stance of the Metropolitan Police on domestic abuse. He stated, “The remarks made by the officer do not reflect our position. There are no circumstances where it would be appropriate to discourage a victim of domestic abuse from reporting it to the police.”

He added that the Metropolitan Police has dedicated teams in place across London to address domestic violence and that they are working in partnership with local authorities and charities to support victims and encourage reporting within diverse communities.

The investigation into the officer’s conduct is ongoing, as the police aim to ensure that harmful messages like this do not hinder efforts to combat domestic abuse, particularly in minority communities.