UK-based Nigerian comedian KlintonCod has stepped into the heated debate surrounding Kemi Badenoch’s recent comments about her Nigerian boarding school experience, backing the Conservative Party leader’s claim that it felt like a prison.
Days ago, Badenoch who recently declared she no longer identifies as Nigerian, described her Sagamu boarding school as being “like a prison”. The remark sparked outrage among some Nigerians, many accusing her of exaggerating and denigrating her heritage.
However, KlintonCod says her account is not far from reality. According to the comedian:
“I have told so many people stories from my boarding school (boys only) and facts is, it was like a prison too with huge walls around us properly secured. The difference between us and prisoners was the fact that we had mid-term breaks and holidays. Every other thing was the same!”
According to the comedian, some UK prisons he has visited for work offered far better living conditions than what he experienced as a student in Nigeria. He added:
“I have never been to a Nigerian prison but the few times I had been to UK prisons for work in the past, those guys had a far better quality of life than my life in boarding school.”
KlintonCod painted a grim picture of life in his boys’ boarding school, recalling violent fights involving machetes and axes, secret cult clashes at night, and oppressive senior-junior relationships where provisions sent from home were seized by seniors. He shared:
“Somebody in SS3 is using a cutlass to flog you in SS1 because he is your senior. Should I speak about how any provisions from home you receive technically belongs to some senior waiting for your parents to leave?”
He believes many Nigerians’ dislike for Badenoch is rooted in her blunt honesty. He claimed:
“I am yet to find one solid & justifiable reason why Nigerians dislike Kemi Badenoch. Only reason seen so far is she is TOO honest, and her honesty is attributed to the negative side of Nigeria according to the disliker.”
KlintonCod even joked that he would pair Badenoch as Peter Obi’s running mate if given the chance, claiming “the country go sweet dieeeee.”
The debate around Badenoch’s identity comments continues to rage. In a recent podcast interview, she revealed she hasn’t renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s, adding that she feels more connected to the UK, where she has lived most of her life. She also recalled returning to the UK at 16 after her parents decided there was “no future” for her in Nigeria.
While critics accuse her of disowning her roots, Badenoch insists she’s simply being truthful about her lived experience.
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