Coronavirus lockdown: 'Now I dey fear for my life'

E remain small tin, 44 year old Emilia from Akuku Toru for Rivers State say she for die for her husband hand as im wan strangle her to death wen dem get kwanta.

Emilia wey be mama to four pikins tell BBC Pidgin say di problem start wen she ask her husband for money to take buy food as di lockdown happen.

"I don know dis man for 21 years and we get four pikins and all through na so so beating I dey suffer for im hand. Im no dey take care of me or di pikin weda for food or pay school fees or take care of di house, all na me.

As dis lockdown happen, food no dey house so I ask am make im give me money as dem don pay dem so I fit buy wetin we go chop, im say im get pipo wey im dey owe so no money.

Around 11am dat day, I dey for room wen im put on generator, as I dey wonder why im on di generator na so im bash my room door enter with cutlass.

I begin shout, im say make I no worry say nobody go hear my voice naim make am put on di generator. Na so im pounce on me, use di pillow to press me.

I manage escape but im beat me well well, all my body so-so bruises. Neighbours come intervene. Now I dey fear for my life. Make im leave me alone." Na Emilia tok.

'Abusers dey ginger during di coronavirus lockdown'

Emilia na one of many cases of domestic violence wey dey happen as pipo dey house for di lockdown sake of corona virus pandemic.

Dr Doris Onyeneke wey be di Director, Mother of Good Counsel Initiative wey dey do gender activism say Emilia case na one of over 12 cases wey dem don report give dem since dis Covi-19 lockdown begin and odas dey wey include rape victims and domestic violence cases wey dem dey deal with.

Doris Onyeneke say di major thing wey dey cause dis problem na money mata as pressure don too much for men and some women wey be breadwinners for dia homes.

As pipo no dey go out as before, dem don begin find fault for evritin so e dey bring conflict for so home.

Tok tok pesin for International Federation of Female Lawyers FIDA Rivers State, Stephanie Ekpebulu tell BBC Pidgin say, even as dia office close sake of di Covi-19 matter, dem still don get about 13 reports, three na child defilement wia men rape small pikin and di remaining 10 na case of violence wey happen as man no fit provide for im family.

"Dem say hungry man na angry man but dis na time pipo suppose learn to bond with dia families but lack of money sef dey cause all dis trouble. Wen man no get money for pocket, evritin dey annoy am.

Den wen di situation no dey comfortable like dis measures wey goment put in place close down market,make dem look am again, as work no dey, those kain tins dey cause frustration." Ekpebulu tok.

Wetin victims suppose do?

Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi wey dey head di Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, say since di lockdown on 30 March, 2020 for Lagos, dem dey get average of 13 calls, per day for just one of dia hotlines compared with 8 or 9 dem bin dey get before.

Adeniyi say dis increase in reporting no dey surprising because before, di victims for get small break when dem go office or go do school runs pass now wey dem dey locked down with dis abuser.

"Some of dem dey call to speak with psychologist or counsellor wey for give dem advice for so ones wey no wan comot, some dey call to plan how dem fit run comot or relocate to safe place and some dey call so dem fit just talk to pesin.

"Di most important tin na make dem no panic too much, try di tins dem dey do regularly, do tins wey don help dem before to keep calm, reach out to family members and support system, write because writing dey therapeutic and e dey help some pipo, tok to counsellors too so dem go know say dem no dey alone.

Some pipo don criticise goment say dem no too reason di effect before dem decide to lockdown.

Like how victims like dis fit do. Some states get plan though.

For Lagos, di DSVRT hotlines for dat kain mata na 08137967048 and short code *6820# for airtel and MTN.

Adeniyi-Vivour also advise say if na physical violence, make dem comot go safe place. Dem fit also call di police officer in charge of gender desk on 08023007799. Dem fit post for DSVRT twitter and Facebook page."

For States wey no get special like Lagos State, Vivour-Adeniyi advise dem to report to gender desk department or officer for police stations, NGOs like FIDA, Ministry of Women Affairs or Ministry of Justice and dem for help.

Police don arrest di husband of Emilia and dem don begin investigation.