Equalities minister leaked messages: ‘I don’t care about colonialism’

Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has been criticised after Whatsapp messages emerged in which she reportedly said “I don’t care about colonialism”.

According to the Guardian, Badenoch reportedly wrote: “I don’t care about colonialism because [I] know what we were doing before colonialism got there. They came in and just made a different bunch of winners and losers.”

Funmi Adebayo, a former member of the Whatsapp group named Conservative Friends of Nigeria, said she leaked the “dangerous” messages, saying they would drive black supporters away from the party and government.

Adebayo said: “I’m no stranger to sitting opposite people who have completely different opinions to me … But we can connect as Nigerians, and be honest about the fact that colonialism had an impact on Nigeria and that it was awful.

“It wasn’t as simple as winners and losers; I think it’s such a crass way to respond. Those losers are people who died, and were murdered and raped.”