A UK police officer is under investigation after a resurfaced 2018 video shows him advising Nigerian women not to report their abusive husbands. The officer's comments, made during a church event, have been criticized for contradicting the UK’s Domestic Violence Act, prompting outrage from advocacy groups and an official inquiry.
A UK Metropolitan police officer is currently under investigation following a resurfaced 2018 video in which he allegedly advised Nigerian women not to report their abusive husbands to the authorities. The footage, recorded during an event at Divine Restoration International Church in Camberwell, features the officer speaking in both English and Yoruba, addressing issues like family dynamics and knife crime.
In the video, the officer allegedly told the women that upon arriving in the UK, they start behaving "rudely" towards their husbands and should "manage" marital problems instead of involving the police. These comments have sparked outrage, especially among advocacy groups focused on protecting women from domestic violence.
Afruca, an organization dedicated to safeguarding the interests of children and women in the UK, lodged a formal complaint, criticizing the officer’s advice as undermining the UK’s Domestic Violence Act of 2021. Debbie Ariyo, Afruca’s executive officer, condemned the officer's remarks, stating that they contradicted the principles of the law and seemed like an attack on Nigerian women.
In response, Detective Chief Superintendent Adjei-Addoh confirmed that the video has been referred to the Metropolitan Police’s professional standards unit for assessment. He emphasized that the officer’s comments do not reflect the force’s stance on domestic violence, reaffirming their commitment to supporting victims of abuse and encouraging the reporting of such crimes.
