Authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) are investigating a Metropolitan police officer seen in a video advising a group of Nigerian women not to report their abusive husbands.
The footage, said to have been recorded six years ago, has resurfaced on social media.
The UK Mirror said the video captured in 2018 at Divine Restoration International Church in Camberwell, UK, shows a police operative addressing mostly women, with other officers present.
In the video, a police officer is speaking in English and Yoruba languages, while addressing topics like knife crime and familial dynamics, from a pulpit at a church.
“When we get here, the government gave us money, they provided everything for us, benefit; we forgot all,” the officer said.
“All our hard work doesn’t make us rich, only God’s blessing can enrich an individual.
“Truly, we have come here to work hard to help our people, and that is the reason why many have multiple jobs they do.
“Sisters, brothers, they phone you. You go back home; I see some of them; they are looking better than me and you.
”But when they call you, bring, do you think that if you don’t send it to them, they will die the next minute? Think about your home here.
“This is your home. This is where you live. The society we are living in, if we allow it to be corrupted with the attitudes of the children of the youth of today, it becomes problematic. It’s not just for the police. It’s for everybody.
“All those children that they think, you get them, you say, maybe if your child is not at home, you’ll be thinking, oh, where is this child? Where is my daughter? Where is my son? Until that child, enter the house before you can have peace of mind. Before you can have peace of mind.
“We just try to help the situation. We have to work together. As my colleagues say, we have to work together.
“They say clap hands together; make it work. But if you just say, no, I don’t want to say anything, I don’t want to do this. We the police here, we’re here to help you.
“We’re not your enemy. We’re your friends. If you have any problem, any issue, if you say, no, you can stop out on the road, discuss with us, and we’ll give you advice.
“If it’s something that we don’t have, we’ll take it to the higher authority in the office, and we’ll give the right advice. We have to work together. We’re here to help you.
“It is my prayer that God Almighty accept all our prayers, and we will not use our hands to bury our children.
“Please let us all train our children for good, thank you all.”
According to Mirror, the footage goes on to show the officer allegedly saying that once Nigerian women arrive in the UK they start behaving “rudely” towards their husbands, adding that they should not call police on their husbands “but manage it.”
“Police confirmed to the Mirror that the footage has been referred to the Met’s standards unit,” the newspaper said.
Afruca, a group committed to protecting children’s interests in the UK, has lodged a formal complaint against the officer involved.
Debbie Ariyo, executive officer of Afruca, who saw the video, said, “[The officer said], ‘do not call the police on your husband, but manage it.’
“We’ve been talking about violence against women, but we haven’t talked about violence against black women. Women in African and Caribbean communities,” she added.
“And so, to hear a police officer who should understand the UK Domestic Violence Act of 2021 telling women that they shouldn’t call the police on their husbands, whatever the explanation is, it’s counterproductive. I felt it was an attack on Nigerian women.
“Coming from a police officer, where we see many police officers being convicted of hurting women, it’s the first thing I thought about.”
Adjei-Addoh, detective chief superintendent, said the video has been escalated to the professional standards team for examination.
“The incident reported relates to an informal talk by a police member of staff made at a church in Camberwell back in 2018,” Adjei-Addoh said.
“The comments made by the member of the police staff categorically do not represent the position of the Met in relation to domestic abuse and are wrong.
“There are no circumstances where it would be appropriate for a victim-survivor of domestic abuse not to report it to the police if they feel able to do so.
“Over recent years, the Met has developed a raft of dedicated investigation teams focused on domestic abuse.
“Within the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, we work in partnership with the local authorities and third-sector charities involved in VAWG to ensure we have strategies to encourage domestic abuse reporting and support victim-survivors of domestic abuse.
“The video has been referred to our professional standards unit to assess and consider what action is to be taken. Afruca and other charities like them carry out invaluable work in the domestic abuse space, and I understand the concern this matter has caused.
“Lastly, I am keen to speak with those who have been particularly affected in an attempt to reassure them of our ongoing commitment to tackling this type of crime and protecting those who are at risk.”
