“How the abduction of my 15-year-old son forced my family to escape Nigeria” — UK-Based Nigerian Woman Shares Experience with Police
Following the shocking account shared by Kemi Badenoch, a Nigerian mother, known as @irishnaija on X, recounted the harrowing experience of her 15-year-old son’s “abduction” by Nigerian police, which ultimately led her family to leave the country.
“I used to run a kitchen in Yesufu Abiodun, Oniru, where I supplied food to banks and offices in Victoria Island, Lagos. My 15-year-old son often helped with deliveries, as he had just completed his WAEC exams in 2018. On one particular day, we had a delivery close to our house. Since it was nearby, he went without the driver, carrying the food and our POS machine,” she began.
What began as a simple delivery quickly turned into a nightmare. “Tragically, the Nigerian police abducted him, confiscated his phone, and took him to the anti-cultism unit in Gbagada,” the mother continued. Unaware of his whereabouts, she and her family scoured Victoria Island in search of him, only to discover that he had been taken far from their home.
Her son finally managed to call, and his terrified words broke her heart: “Mummy, are you on your way? I’m so scared.”
Rushing to the station with her husband and a lawyer, the family faced further distress upon arrival. “At the gate, they took our phones, and then I saw my son—half-naked and sitting on the ground with over 100 others outside the station. I collapsed in tears.” Her husband, who is British, demanded to know the charges against their son. The response from the DPO was chilling: “Because he dyed his hair.”
The young boy had been detained without explanation, despite the presence of the food and POS machine at the station. “The boy hadn’t been allowed to explain himself,” the mother said. Ultimately, they were forced to pay for his release, a traumatizing experience that would mark a turning point for the family.
“This incident was a turning point for my husband, who decided that we couldn’t continue living in Nigeria,” the mother revealed.
The emotional toll was further compounded by the fact that she was seven months pregnant at the time. The stress of the ordeal triggered premature labor, requiring an emergency C-section.
“My son’s only ‘crime’ was being a hardworking boy, helping with his parents’ legitimate business—a business that provided employment for Nigerians,” she said. For her husband, witnessing such injustice firsthand was a painful eye-opener to the realities of the Nigerian system.
She concluded, “Many of us have bitter, painful stories about the Nigerian system. Yet when we speak out and tell the truth, we are accused of defamation or subjected to cyberbullying. It’s truly heartbreaking.”
Addressing the recent criticism Kemi Badenoch faced for sharing her experience, the mother stated, “I personally say that Kemi should be left alone, she is saying exactly what she experienced and if I’m asked anywhere in the world the same question, I will narrate my ordeal, so will every member of my family!”
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