Another Worries As Domestic Violence Skyrockets In Nigeria...TAP HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY..>>
Within the past few weeks, domestic violence worsened in many Nigerian homes, with horrible scenes recorded across the country.
According to a 2019 survey by the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, 30% of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, while a shocking 68% have encountered emotional, economic, or sexual abuse.
The figure is undoubtedly under-reported, as survivors often face various barriers to seeking help, including cultural stigmas, fear of retribution, and a lack of trust in the legal system.
DAILY POST reports that between 2019 and 2024, several reports of physical violence left countless individuals, particularly women and children either traumatised or dead.
The pathetic case of popular Nigerian gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, who reportedly lost her life in April 2022 due to alleged domestic violence is still fresh in the minds of many Nigerians.
Recently, the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja convicted and sentenced a man, Akinwale Akinlabi, to 12 years imprisonment for killing his wife, Cecilia Tope Akinlabi.
Most times, these incidents are caused by trivial issues that should not have escaped the bedroom discussion.
Concerning the Lagos incident, the prosecutionâs first witness, identified as Inspector Jumai Adonduwa, told the court that before her death, the deceased reported her husband to the police for domestic violence following a heated argument about N100 demanded by her husband.
Some of the cases recorded in January 2025 are highly worrisome and are raising the curiosity of Nigerians.
Man chops off wifeâs wrist with cutlass in Enugu
On January 26, 2025, a 33-year-old man identified as Sunday Echege was arrested by operatives of the Enugu State Police Command for severing the left wrist of his wife, Chinonso Echege.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the command revealed that the suspect, who confessed to the crime, claimed he acted out of suspicion that his wife was involved in extramarital affairs.
Reports said the couple earlier had a misunderstanding where the suspect set all the victimâs dress ablaze, leading to a partial separation but they reunited after one year.
The chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area of the state Hon Jude Chinedu Asogwa KSJI, who visited the victim at Ketochukwu hospital Nsukka vowed that Justice would be served accordingly.
He vowed that âgender-based violence has no place in our societyâ, telling the family that the state governor, Peter Ndubisi Mba was interested in the case and requested the immediate transfer of the victim to Parklane Hospital in Enugu for further medical care.
The suspect has been arraigned and remanded at the Enugu Correctional Centre.
Man bathes wife with boiling oil
Prior to the Enugu incident, one Kazeem Sholola was arrested in Ogun State for pouring hot oil on his wife, Mutiat Sholola, and stabbing her in the head during a domestic dispute.
Sholola, a resident of the Ring Road Community in Owode Egba, Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area, was reportedly assaulted in a fit of anger following a misunderstanding with his wife.
According to a statement by the Ogun State Police Command, the suspect, âin uncontrollable anger over a misunderstanding, poured hot oil on his wife and also stabbed her in the headâ.
Man sets wife ablaze in Anambra
A housewife identified as Mrs Chioma Nwaka recently lost her life after being set ablaze by her middle-aged husband, Obiozor Nwaka, over suspected infidelity.
The incident happened on January 20 at Eziezekwe village in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State but the victim died in a nearby hospital after 24 hours.
The husband, who went to the Abagana Divisional Police Station to report the incident and presented himself to the police, was arrested and detained at the facility.
The victim was captured in a viral video footage circulating on social media, scampering for safety while carrying a third-degree burn around her torso and other body areas.
In a confessional video before the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs, the suspect said he was angry that the wife usually returned home late at night, at about 11 pm.
On one of such occasions, he reached out for petrol, poured on the victim and set her ablaze.
Benue woman bathes 9-year-old child with hot water
Just last week, a woman identified simply as Martha and a resident of Nyiman Layout area of Makurdi reportedly poured hot water on the private part of her 9-year-old ward.
The boy, who was brought from the village, was also denied access to a medical facility for treatment as the suspect kept him hidden in her room to avoid detection.
According to an eyewitness who spoke to DAILY POST on Saturday, âa few people who noticed what was happening, questioned the woman why the child remained with them amidst pains but no genuine reason was given until we raised the alarmâ.
The boy was, however, rushed to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH where he is receiving treatment.
My husband has turned me into punching bag â Divorce seeking woman
A resident of Ushafa Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Mrs Bose Olawole told DAILY POST how she was subjected to torture and other abuses by her husband since 2023.
Bose said her 14-year-old marriage started crumbling after the husband (name withheld) started engaging in extramarital affairs with younger ladies.
According to her, whenever she confronts her husband over his extramarital activities, âhe will turn me into a punching bag and this happens at least three times a weekâ.
She recently filed for divorce at the Ushafa Customary Court while the physical abuse was also reported to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
âAside from the physical abuse, the emotional stress I went through in the past two years almost took my life. We will be in the same house for three months and he wonât talk to me.
âI almost got used to his beating but the day he almost killed me was the day I made up my mind to walk out of the marriage.
âWe had a serious argument and he rushed to hit me like he used to do but this time, I was able to block him because he was drunk.
âThat was how he went to the kitchen and got a knife to stab me. I ran out of the house that night and since then, we have been separated.
âWhat took me to NAPTIP was the abuse of the children. Whenever they ask him about their mother, the man will hit my three kids and starve them too.
âMy first daughter is 13 years old. There was a day he poured pepper on her private part just because she opened her fatherâs phone and saw his chats with another woman. When I reported the matter to NAPTIP, he was arrested but freed after a few daysâ, she narrated.
Although similar cases have been recorded over the years, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Command, Bright Edafe told DAILY POST in a chat that domestic violence âis not a common thing here in Delta Stateâ.
Sex, money, power major factors that cause domestic violence â Clergy
Pastor Olawole Micheal of the End Time Church, ETC, said in an interview with DAILY POST that due to his experiences from counselling couples in his church, he concluded that sex, money and power are the root cause of domestic violence against spouses.
According to him, âin my 10 years in the ministry, I have counselled several couples and I have discovered that what is affecting couple A is sometimes similar to what is affecting couple B.
âBased on my experience as a pastor and counsellor, there are three factors that can lead to gender-based violence, especially between couples. We have sex, money and power.
âSex is one of the major issues in marriages today. Most of the marital disputes you see in society are in one way or the other, linked to sex.
âIn my years of counselling, I have discovered that most couples that have this issue donât have a good foundation. They probably didnât take note of certain things during courtship.
âIt is a matter of compatibility. You have to be sexually compatible before you take her to the altar or allow him to take you to the altar.
âThere are some men that have very high libidos, while their wives are the opposite. They have low libidos, meaning they are not always ready.
âNothing angers a man like when he doesnât get sexual satisfaction from his woman. Out of frustration, some can even kill and later regret their actions.
âNo matter the libido, the Bible instructed us in 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 that we must perform our marital obligations to our spouses.
âAnother one is money. You know very well that your spouse has money yet he is not doing anything for you. Some men will tell me that âLook, my wife has enough money but her money is her money. She doesnât do anything at homeâ; this is where hatred builds up.
âIt is a problem that has led to domestic violence and even broken homes.
âWe know that it is the manâs responsibility to take care of the home, but in a situation where he does not have, you are meant to support.
âGod made this very clear in Genesis 2:18 it says âAnd the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for himâ.
âAs a woman, you are meant to help. And it is not just about the women. There are many men who prefer taking care of strangers to their own family. All these things can lead to gender-based or domestic violence.
âAnother one is power. This boils down to a woman recognizing the fact that no matter her position, she is under a man.
âSome of our ladies these days donât believe in that simple principle.
âWomen now believe that what men can do, they can do it even better.
âThis is laughable because no matter how powerful you are, a man is a man.
âIt is not something we can change as humans. It has been so since creation. The clash of power disturbs the home and it can lead to anythingâ.
Psychologist attributes increased domestic violence to hardship, frustration
A psychologist, Tony Omeluko blamed the ugly trend on frustration birthed by the worsening economic situation of the country.
âWhen the economy is bad, it affects the men mostly because they are the ones that provide for the family.
âWhen their efforts fail to yield positive results, frustration will gradually set in and when a man is frustrated, most times, the wife suffers it and the wife too has the capacity of transferring it to the children.
âNigerians and other African countries donât care much about peopleâs mental health. A lot of Nigerians are currently sick mentally due to the hardship.
âYou see, someone that seriously needs urgent therapy is being given some serious functions in society because we donât check and we donât care.
âThat other guy that allegedly beheaded his girlfriend close to Abuja here, when journalists were interviewing him, you could see that the guy has mental issues. You could hardly comprehend what he was saying.
âWe have a lot of people like him in the society right nowâ, he said.Read Full Details