A video has resurfaced on social media showing a Metropolitan Police officer allegedly advising a group of Nigerian women not to contact the police regarding their husbands but to “manage it.”
Truetells Nigeria reports that the incident, which took place in 2018 at the Divine Restoration International Church in Camberwell, United Kingdom, has sparked outrage, prompting an investigation by the police force.
The video shows the officer, speaking both in Yoruba and English, addressing a predominantly female audience at the church’s pulpit.
He discussed issues related to knife crime and parental influence, suggesting that young men might not heed their mothers’ advice and would rather listen to their fathers.
However, the officer then reportedly said that upon arriving in the UK, some Nigerian women begin to act “rudely” towards their husbands and should refrain from involving the police in domestic disputes.
The footage has been referred to the Metropolitan Police’s standards unit, and advocacy groups are expressing their concern.
Afruca, a children’s safeguarding charity focused on African communities, has formally complained, arguing that the officer’s comments could discourage victims of domestic violence from seeking protection.
The group’s Chief Executive, Debbie Ariyo, speaking to the UK Mirror, said: “[The officer said], ‘do not call the police on your husband, but manage it.’
“When I heard it, I was livid. Like what do you mean? So if a man is abusing the woman, and don’t forget, domestic violence is not always about physical abuse, emotional even in terms of cultural practices, its a sexual issue – so if a woman is being abused in the home, she shouldn’t call the police because if she does, the man will be removed from the home and the children will spiral and it will be her fault.
“If a woman is being abused, you’re saying that women shouldn’t seek police protection.
“That was really bad of them, that’s just like minimising these issues in our communities. That Nigerians don’t really matter. Even children are victims in the home when domestic violence is going on.”
She also pointed out the lack of focus on violence against Black women, noting that 43% of femicide victims in 2022 were Black, despite making up a smaller proportion of the population.
Ariyo expressed frustration that violence against Black women, particularly those from African and Caribbean communities, has not received enough attention.
She also condemned the officer’s ignorance of the UK’s Domestic Violence Act of 2021, which prioritizes the safety of victims regardless of background.
In response to the incident, Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh acknowledged that the comments made during the informal talk in 2018 did not reflect the Metropolitan Police’s stance on domestic violence.
He said: “The incident reported relates to an informal talk by a police member of staff made at a church in Camberwell back in 2018. 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.”
He also highlighted the police force’s continued efforts to combat domestic abuse, noting that there are specialized investigation teams in place across London’s boroughs, working with local authorities and charities to support victims and encourage reporting.
The investigation into the officer’s conduct is ongoing, with a focus on ensuring that such damaging messages do not undermine the fight against domestic violence within diverse communities.