Kemi Badenoch Recounts Witnessing Lynchings in Nigerian Childhood

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has revealed that she witnessed at least two lynchings during her childhood in Nigeria. She described seeing one victim beaten to death after committing a crime, and another instance where a person was simply killed.

Badenoch, who was born in the UK but spent her formative years in Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s, shared these experiences at the Cliveden Literary Festival. She drew a connection between these violent episodes and the dynamics of online "cancel culture," suggesting both involve group mentality and fear.

"It’s a group activity, the hive mind takes over, and it’s fear of the mob," Badenoch stated. "What has happened is that when new ideas come in, where you have militant people behind them who are very happy to use mob tactics - whether it’s on social media or in real life - many people are afraid and they don’t want to speak up."

The politician's remarks came during a discussion about "ideological capture" within British institutions. She expressed admiration for figures like author J.K. Rowling and headmistress Katharine Birbalsingh for their perceived willingness to confront public pressure.

"You need people like that who will use all of the tools that are available in our law," Badenoch said, adding, "It’s why I love people like JK Rowling, who know they cannot be cancelled and they use their status and their power to protect other people."

Badenoch also touched upon themes from her recent Conservative Party conference speech concerning her children's identity and ethnicity. She emphasized that ethnicity and ancestry exist on a spectrum, contrasting this with sex and gender.

"What I think is dangerous is when people start telling others what their identity is," she commented. "Ethnicity and ancestry is a spectrum, unlike sex and gender. My husband and I are male and female, our children are not half-male, half-female."