Publication

Domestic violence has become a trend that is now justified as a means of correcting loved ones, a means to show love, and a means to show submissiveness. It is a trend that is no longer new but is gradually becoming the norm in Nigeria, with scarcely a week passing without an incident of domestic violence being reported.

Recently, a Nigerian mother of four allegedly died after being subjected to domestic violence for years.

“A Facebook user by the name of Amarachi Iwuala, who shared the said story, alleged that the husband of the deceased over the years subjected her to domestic abuse. She said the husband, at one time, allegedly beat the wife until she became unconscious. Amarachi said when advised to leave the marriage, the deceased, who was nursing a seven-month-old child, said she should walk away when her children were grown as they were still little,” reported Barristerng.

Sadly, this came to reality when the mother of four was found dead in her bedroom, while the husband claimed he slept in the living room. The cause of death remains unknown, with the husband insisting she should be buried immediately as he doesn’t have money to store her body in a mortuary.

Similarly, a father of four by the name Lukman Soladoye appeared before a sharia court sitting at Magajin Gari Kaduna for beating his wife, Kemi Soladoye, and his four children. Soladoye told the court he beats his wife and children for correction because he loves them and wants the best for them. The complainant (Kemi), through her counsel, told the court she wanted a divorce due to incessant assault but later changed her mind and settled with her husband.

Domestic violence comes in diverse forms, which may be physical or emotional, and even both; this has remained a pressing issue in Nigeria that needs to be addressed from the grassroots. According to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) report, there are no national laws in Nigeria that expressly address domestic abuse. However, there are laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition)Act (VAPP Act) of 2015, which is applicable in the Federal Capital Territory and other states that choose to adopt it, and The Prohibition Against Domestic Violence Law of Lagos State, 2007 which address domestic violence in Lagos.

Deliberate legislative efforts must be put in place all over the country to combat domestic violence, and a more expansive educational and awareness campaign must be publicized to combat deeply ingrained attitudes that perpetuate such violence. In addition, more support services, economic empowerment and access to justice must be provided to survivors of domestic violence, while perpetrators must face civil and criminal actions as appropriate consequences for their actions.