UK-based Nigerian replaces shoes, wristwatch stolen from Kemi Badenoch’s brother

A Nigerian man residing in the United Kingdom, James Akinwande, has replaced a pair of shoes and a wristwatch allegedly stolen from the brother of Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK’s Conservative Party.

Badenoch recently accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) of stealing her brother’s belongings during an encounter.

She described the officers’ actions as an abuse of power in a recent interview, highlighting the incident as an example of systemic misconduct.

“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,” Badenoch said in the December 2024 interview.

Her remarks about Nigeria and its leadership have drawn mixed reactions, with some Nigerians, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, accusing her of repeatedly tarnishing her homeland’s image.

In response to her comments, Akinwande recorded a video showing him purchasing a pair of shoes and a wristwatch in a UK store.

He then visited the Conservative Party headquarters, where he handed the items to security personnel to be delivered to Badenoch.

At the end of 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! (I hope it fits, tho..).”

The video has since gone viral on social media, but Akinwande’s original video has been taken down.

According to Akinwande’s Instagram profile, he’s the international manager of popular Nigerian comedian, Kenny Blaq.