Birmingham-based political activist Femi Oluwole, 36, has accused West Midlands Police of "clear bias" after he reported a social media post he believed threatened his safety, only for officers to caution him that his own political commentary was "borderline a criminal offence". The complaint centred on an X post by political commentator Nick Buckley MBE, dated November 7, which referred to Oluwole as a "poster boy for mass deportation and remigration".
Complaint over 'mass deportation' post
Oluwole argued that public calls for the "remigration" or "mass deportation" of a black British citizen effectively amounted to a threat of being "kidnapped and trafficked to another country". However, in a recorded telephone call with officers, West Midlands Police said they "don't get involved with political tweets" and advised Oluwole to report the matter directly to the social media platform.
Instead, officers turned their attention to Oluwole's own online activity, specifically an X post in which he argued that Reform UK politicians should not wear poppies because they "would have sided with the Germans in World War II". Buckley had shared a screenshot of that post before publishing his own, which prompted Oluwole's complaint.
Police officers' warning during recorded call
During the exchange, which Oluwole recorded, a supervising officer intervened, telling him, "We do not get involved in politics" and that "What you just said is borderline an offence". The officer added, "If you utter those words again, we will have a problem, because you are borderline committing malicious communications, harassment, and various other things." When Oluwole asked for clarification on the specific criminal offence, the call was ended.
Oluwole said: "What I tweeted was legitimate journalist commentary backed up by actual evidence from Reform Party politicians admitting it themselves." He later told BirminghamLive: "The fact that they were willing to categorically say what he (Buckley) did was free speech, but they would accuse me of committing a borderline offence shows a clear bias."
Formal complaint and force response
Following the interaction, Oluwole lodged a formal complaint with the force's Professional Standards Department (PSD). In an official response, the force defended its decision not to record Buckley's post as a crime, citing College of Policing and Crown Prosecution Service guidelines on freedom of expression. The force reviewed the file and confirmed no crime had been committed.
However, the response acknowledged that the junior officer should have provided Oluwole with a "more in-depth explanation" as to why the matter he was reporting wasn't a crime, rather than simply stating "we don't police tweets". The force also said the supervising officer's comments were "unhelpful and caused frustration and confusion", adding that both officers would receive direct feedback from their manager.
Escalation to PCC and conclusion
Oluwole escalated his complaint to the office of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), led by Simon Foster. The PCC's office concluded that the complaint had been managed in a "reasonable and proportionate manner" by West Midlands Police, noting that officers' "hands were tied by the law" regarding free speech. The PCC's office advised Oluwole that any further steps would require seeking independent legal advice.
Oluwole added: "How the hell are black people supposed to feel safe or trust the West Midlands Police at all if they are willing to tolerate officers within their ranks who are willing to use their badge to silence the victims of racist threats on the grounds of criticising a party?" A spokesperson for the PCC's office referred to the outcome of the review and said it would not make further comment. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "This complaint was investigated by our Professional Standards Department, and then independently reviewed the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. We gave feedback to the officers who originally spoke to the complainant and are continuously working to improve the service we offer to the public."
