Kemi Badenoch: My life under Nigerian military rule is why I support Trump’s Maduro capture

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has defended the United States’ daring operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the raid as “morally right” despite global controversy.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on January 6, 2026, Badenoch drew on her childhood experiences in military-ruled Nigeria to explain her stance.

“Venezuela was a brutal regime. We didn’t even recognise it as a legitimate government,” she said. “I understand why America acted, and morally, I think it was the right thing to do.”

Badenoch, born in England in 1980 but raised in Lagos until her teenage years, lived through four Nigerian governments, three of which were military regimes under Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, and Sani Abacha, with a brief interim civilian government under Ernest Shonekan. She recalled the fear, uncertainty, and oppression she witnessed, saying it gave her a first-hand understanding of life under authoritarian rule.

“I grew up under military dictatorships, so I know what it’s like to have a ruler like Maduro in charge,” she explained. “I know what it’s like to see people celebrating while living under fear. I’m not condemning the US.”

The raid, carried out by US special forces, saw Maduro extracted from Caracas and flown to New York to face drug-related charges, sparking international debate over legality under global law. Critics warned it could embolden other nations to undertake similar extrajudicial actions, while supporters argue it was a justified intervention against a brutal regime