The Vancouver Police Board says its vice-chair has resigned following statements she posted to social media that were inconsistent with its code of conduct.
Screenshots of the Instagram posts made by Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba were shared on the online discussion website Reddit, where they drew criticism from users for their commentary on immigration and religion.
Speaking with CBC News Friday, Sakoma-Fadugba apologized for the content of her posts, but said the screenshots were missing context from her original posts.
She said she resigned from the board for personal reasons.
CBC News has not independently verified the social media posts, as both they and the Instagram account they were posted on have since been removed.
Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba is seen on the far right in this set of portraits of police board members from January 2023. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Of the screenshots shared to Reddit, one post discusses how “mass immigration” and “a growing aversion to assimilation” are “transforming Canada into a place where a shared identity is disappearing.”
Another post questions Diwali celebrations at schools, saying the “push for secular education isn’t about religion — it’s about erasing Christian values from the lives of our children.”
A third post references “gender transitions” while criticizing a “woke culture that pits children against their parents.”
Another claims Christian values serve as Canada’s moral compass and questions what would happen to the country if a different religion became more dominant.
‘Genuinely sorry’
Sakoma-Fadugba told CBC News the screenshots posted to Reddit were taken out of context and do not “capture the entirety of the conversation that was being had.”
“I’m genuinely sorry that it has caused so much harm,” she said. “That was not my intent.”
Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba is seen in this portrait, formerly posted on the Vancouver Police Board website. (Vancouver Police Board)
Sakoma-Fadugba said she immigrated to Canada from Nigeria as a young child.
She said she joined the police board in 2021 amid the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic. One of her goals, she said, was to serve as a bridge between Black and South Asian communities.
She added that she has a deep respect for Hinduism, and said learning about the religion has strengthened her Christian faith.
“What I was trying to express was the fact that I would really love to see a lot more unity around Canada,” she said. “And I think, obviously, I sadly did not get to communicate that as well as I would have wanted to.”
Comments offensive: Tory MLA
In a statement issued Friday, Vancouver Police Board chair Frank Chong said recent statements posted to social media by Sakoma-Fadugba “do not reflect the values of the board and are inconsistent with our code of conduct.”
The Vancouver Police Board governance manual has a section in which the board says one of its guiding values is to do work in a manner that recognizes and values diversity.
“Internally, we create an environment that is free of discrimination, we respect diversity, create equitable systems and processes, and build an inclusive workplace culture,” the manual reads.
Garry Begg, B.C.’s solicitor general, said the comments attributed to Sakoma-Fadugba ‘spread hate and division amongst communities.’ (Mike McArthur/CBC)
Garry Begg, B.C.’s solicitor general and minister of public safety, said in a statement that the comments “spread hate and division amongst communities and they will not be tolerated.”
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the views shared by Sakoma-Fadugba don’t reflect his beliefs nor the policies of the City of Vancouver or police board.
“As public leaders, it’s our responsibility to bring people together and focus on what unites us, not what divides us,” Sim said in a statement.
B.C. Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko, who was a longtime RCMP officer, called the comments offensive. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Elenore Sturko, the B.C. Conservative MLA for South Surrey and a former RCMP officer, said she thought it was appropriate for the board to accept Sakoma-Fadugba’s resignation, adding that her comments were offensive, particularly to the transgender community.
“It comes down to trust,” Sturko said.
“When we have statements being made that erode the public’s trust, or their comfort with their police service, it makes it that much harder on the frontline officers.”