Dem nab man accused of macheting im wife for front of im girlfriend for Rivers

29 year old Mama of four children dey critical condition for hospital after her husband reportedly beat her with machete, Police confirm to BBC Pidgin.

Police identify di victim as Leticia Nwakaego Chima from Omerelu, Ikwerre local goment area of Rivers State, Southern Nigeria,

How di man and im lover allegedly beat and cut Leticia with machete, na im police dey investigate. 

Her brother, Anayo Warisi tell BBC Pidgin say di incident happen on Monday 15 August 2022 wen she question her husband, Chima Amadi, why im bring im lover come dia house.

"Dat Monday morning, di husband carry anoda woman come house so she ask am say why im go carry im girlfriend come house na so fight burst and di husband and im girlfriend begin beat her.

"Di husband come carry machete hit my sister for leg, matchete all her bodi but di one for her leg na im dey very bad and serious.

"My senior brother and senior sister carry her go bone hospital for Elele but dem reject her say di wounds she get dey too serious so dem take her to UPTH [University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital].

"Na dia she dey now dey recive treatment." Im tok.

Anayo say Leticia husband run away after di incident happen.

Police for Rivers State don arrest one man believed to be di husband accused of cutting im wife with matchete for Omerelu, Ikwerre local goment area.

Police don also arrest im girlfriend and di two of dem dey di State Criminal Investigations Department for Port Harcourt.

Di victim broda say dis no be di first time dia sister husband dey her.

"Dis no be di first time dat her husband dey beat her. Im don even threaten say e go kill her before but we di family just take am say na husband and wife matter.

"Dem go settle but dis time around wey im use matchete on her, e mean say im dey serious about dat tin im tok before say e go kill her.

So we want make im face di consequences of wetin im do her and write undertaking say im no go do anytin like dat to her again."

'Domestic violence no get any place for society’

Secretary for Centre for Basic Rights and Accountability Campaign, Glady Onyewe dey ask police to do thorough investigation for dis matter especially di fact say di husband allegedly use matchete to cut her.

She say domestic violence under any guise like dis one no get any place for society and so authorities must stand against am.

"Dis na one of di many cases of domestic violence and we demand a thorough investigation into di allege use of machete by dis woman husband.

"And im lover to cut im wife several times and if dem find say anybody get hand for di matter, make di pesin face di law court.

Domestic violence under any guise no get any place for our society and we no go tolerate an no matter who dey involved.” Na so she tok.

‘More women don dey report domestic violence'

Dis na one of many cases of domestic violence wey pipo don dey report to authorities. 

Adata Bio-Briggs wey be di chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers FIDA for Rivers State say cases like dis dey commons.

She say dem dey get more reports of domestic violence for di FIDA Centre becos women no dey tolerate am again, so more and more of dem dey come report.

"No be say di incidence of domestic violence don increase but na more of say more women now dey come report. Awareness dey high now.

"Just yesterday, I personally receive five reports of domestic violence and today I don receive two complaints before me as you dey tok now.

"And I dey sure say before di day go end I go get more reports. 

In terms of figures, we for FIDA dey receive over 30 reports of domestic violence in a month and for some months e dey higher.

Sometimes 50-somtin, 80-somtin, any month wey holiday dey e dey increase."

Bio-Briggs say dem mostly mediate such matters and get di abusive partner, wey most times na di men, to sign undertaking say e no go beat her again.

"We dey treat di reports on a case by case basis becos we don see say some women dey later come withdraw di case.

So wen e be like dat, we dey ask di husband to sign undertaking say e no go beat her again.

"But e get di way di case go be, depending on di gravity, we go quick-quick charge di matter go court make court remand am (di husband) for prison for some time at least.

"Na di Violence against Persons Prohibition VAPP Act empower us say dat one no dey acceptable. Na offense under di law.

"No be family matter as police dey tok sometimes so make dem charge am to court make e face di law." She tok.

Wetin be VAPP Act?

For 25 May 2015 – Then Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, sign di Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) bill into law.

Di new law prohibit female circumcision or genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices.

E also prohibit abandonment of spouse, children and oda dependents without sustenance, battery and harmful traditional practices.

Dis come after di Senate on 5 May, 2015, pass di Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 into law.

Di VAPP Act give legislative and legal framework for di prevention of all forms of violence against vulnerable pesins, especially women and girls.

E come as happy ending for a 14 year advocacy and e bin don pass through three regimes of di National Assembly.

Di law also prohibit economic abuse, forced isolation and separation from family and friends, substance attack, depriving pesins of dia liberty, incest, indecent exposure among odas.

VAPP Act also aim to eliminate violence in private and public life and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims of violence and punishment of offenders.

Many States don domesticate am to use for Southern Nigeria like Akwa Ibom, Edo, Rivers, Oyo and Lagos States.

Di VAPP Act get different punishment for different offenses like life imprisonment for rape cases, prison terms ranging from one year to three years with fines between N200,000 to N500,000 for FGM and oda forms of spousal abuse.

But for spousal battery, if convicted di pesin fit face prison sentence of not less than 3 years plus pay fine of N200,000.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Police Command confam to BBC Pidgin say dem don transfer di arrested girlfriend from Omerelu police division to di State Criminal Investigation Department SCID.

Police tok tok pesin SP Grace Iringe-Koko say dem dey do further investigations.