Femi Oluwole, a 36-year-old political activist from Birmingham, has accused West Midlands Police of displaying “clear bias” in their handling of a social media complaint he made. Oluwole reported an X (formerly Twitter) post by political commentator Nick Buckley MBE, which labelled him a “poster boy for mass deportation and remigration,” a comment Oluwole felt threatened his safety. He argued that public calls for the “remigration” or “mass deportation” of a black British citizen effectively amounted to threats suggesting he could be “kidnapped and trafficked to another country.”
However, in a recorded telephone conversation with police, officers told Oluwole they “don’t get involved with political tweets,” advising him to report the matter directly to the social media platform. Instead, their attention shifted to Oluwole’s own online activity. Specifically, they focused on an X post in which he criticised Reform UK politicians, suggesting they “would have sided with the Germans in World War II” and therefore should not wear poppies. Buckley had previously shared a screenshot of this post before writing his own comment, which prompted Oluwole’s complaint.
Oluwole maintained that his tweet was legitimate journalistic commentary supported by statements from Reform Party politicians themselves. During the phone call, a supervising officer intervened, emphasising, “We do not get involved in politics,” and warned that Oluwole’s remark was “borderline an offence.” The officer cautioned Oluwole that repeating such statements could lead to accusations of malicious communications, harassment, or other offences. When Oluwole sought clarification on what specific criminal offence he was alleged to have committed, the call was abruptly ended.
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Following the incident, Oluwole filed a formal complaint with West Midlands Police’s Professional Standards Department (PSD). The force responded by defending their decision not to treat Buckley’s post as a crime, referring to guidance from the College of Policing and the Crown Prosecution Service on freedom of expression. They also reviewed the case and confirmed no offence had been committed. Nevertheless, the force acknowledged that the junior officer could have offered a more detailed explanation about why Oluwole’s complaint was not actionable, rather than simply stating that “we don’t police tweets.” They admitted that the supervising officer’s comments were “unhelpful and caused frustration and confusion,” and stated both officers received direct managerial feedback.
Oluwole escalated his complaint to the office of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Simon Foster. However, the PCC’s office concluded that the police had managed the matter in a “reasonable and proportionate manner,” noting their “hands were tied by the law” with respect to free speech.
Speaking to BirminghamLive, Oluwole expressed his dismay at the police handling. He said, “The fact they were willing to categorically say Buckley’s comments were free speech, but accused me of a borderline offence, shows clear bias.” He questioned how black people could feel safe or trust West Midlands Police when officers appear willing to use their authority to silence victims of racist threats simply for criticising a political party.
The PCC’s office advised Oluwole that any further action would require independent legal advice. In response, a PCC spokesperson reiterated the outcome of their review and declined further comment. West Midlands Police stated: “This complaint was investigated by our Professional Standards Department, and then independently reviewed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. We have provided feedback to the officers involved and continue working to improve the service we offer to the public.”