The Domestic Violence Bill that is currently being discussed at the committee stage in the Lagos State House of Assembly with appeals to the public to make inputs addresses one of the major problems affecting human relationships in the Nigerian society. Years of military rule, economic dispossession and the institutionalisation of violence as a convenient means of communication, worsened by the failure of the system to enforce the rule of law has turned the country into an open theatre of violence. But whereas violence in the public arena is easily visible, what goes on in the name of domestic violence, is often unseen, unreported; yet it has scarred many lives, destroyed relationships and ruined the potentials of many to function as citizens with legitimate rights.

The Speaker of the House of Assembly in Lagos, Adeyemi Ikuforiji told the audience at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation that the bill "will address all issues relating to domestic violence in homes". He observed that "violence against innocent people has reached an alarming level in the state". The concern of the House of Assembly is understandable. However, if the bill is to be effective, it should pay special attention to the specific challenge of violence against women, the condition that is, of women as victims of domestic violence. It is a notorious truth that women in the Nigerian society, including those educated ones, who appear to have been liberated from the shackles of phallocentrism, are victims of culture, convention and gender inequality which have placed women at the receiving end of all forms of violence.

Culturally, women are treated and regarded as second class citizens, as chattel acquired by a man and his family for the twin purpose of child bearing and companionship, to be seen as a piece of decoration and not to be heard, and if the man dies, she is regarded as a suspect. To subjugate women, and uphold cultural conventions, the Nigerian woman has been exposed to all forms of violence: rape, battery, obnoxious widowhood and traditional practices, denial of right to own property, child marriage, female genital mutilation and mental torture. The educated and enlightened couple remains in the minority category. When a man allows his wife equal rights and opportunities, he is accused of being a "woman wrapper." He is accused of having been given "something to chop" by his wife. He is expected by friends and family to be the "master of his own house". Even in households that are headed by women as breadwinners, the poor husband still asserts his unfounded claim to superiority by resorting to violence. The result is that in many Nigerian homes, the fist is a living symbol of male domination.

Nigerian wives are pummeled, slapped, kicked, humiliated, raped by their husbands; they are denied decision-making rights; they are constantly reminded that they could be sent back to their parents. Those who cannot be sent back are threatened with the prospect of an additional wife in the home or outright abandonment. In a society where marriage is considered important, a woman who is sent away by her husband, or who is unable to get a husband to take her to the altar is regarded as an incomplete person. So many women stay in loveless marriages, in abusive relationships because society expects them to do so.

Others accept their circumstances as fate because they cannot afford the prospect of a return to poverty. If their husbands are rich, and he has been able to provide all the necessary comfort that confers status and respect on the family: a nice house, fat bank accounts in all possible currencies, education for the children in choice schools overseas, regular foreign travel for Madam, generosity towards her family, the woman sums it all up and concludes that an occasional dirty slap on the face is not too much a price to be paid for the privileges that she enjoys. She rationalises her condition and lives with it. Such a woman would not dare report her husband even to a close friend: she would be afraid that another woman who would not mind being beaten in exchange for obvious privileges could snatch her husband and upstage her.

But can an additional law alone change the situation? There are already existing laws which address all forms of domestic violence: battery, rape, attempted murder, manslaughter, murder etc. Nigeria is also a signatory to international conventions on the elimination of discrimination against women. The Nigerian Constitution also does not allow any form of discrimination on the basis of gender. Women, children and all citizens are entitled to the full scope of human rights under Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution. When they become victims of domestic violence, it is those rights that are taken away. What has happened is that there has been no will on the part of governments and institutions to enforce the relevant laws. On a regular basis, media reports reveal how young girls are raped by lecherous neighbours; how fathers abuse their daughters and wives, after the initial shock and righteous condemnations, the matter is soon forgotten.

One young girl once granted an interview on television about how she was raped by a male friend whom she had gone to visit at home. She went to the police station to report the fellow. The policemen on duty asked her whether she was the one who went to the man's house with her own legs. When she replied in the affirmative, the policemen started laughing. They told her: "how can you possibly go to the lion's den with fresh, nice meat and expect the lion not to pounce at it?" It meant nothing to the police that the lady was slapped and brutalised before her assailant overpowered her. She wept on television. The intent of a domestic violence bill can only be justice and the protection of the dignity of the human person. But can anyone guarantee justice in Nigeria?

One woman who had been having problems with her husband, and had been battered and badgered for years finally could not take it anymore. So she took the case to the police station. Her husband who had married her under the Act, had taken another woman as wife and brought her home. The complainant's protest only earned her serious assault with threats that her three children will be disowned by her Almighty Husband. One day, she was beaten black and blue with blood dripping onto her blouse. The police could see the broken lips, the blood-soaked blouse and the fear in her eyes. But they told her: "Madam, this is a police station. We don't interfere in husband and wife matters. Go back home and settle with your husband. You women are too quarrelsome. That is how my wife behaves too. You women you are all the same."

This statement by the police summarises the worldview of many Nigerian men. "Women are quarrelsome. They are like children. To lead them, you must use the whip. They are all the same" This position flies in the face of the great strides that have been made by Nigerian women throughout living experience. It is a paradox that is sustained by the insecurity of the male population. The cost of domestic violence is imaginable. Murder is involved as in the example of one Billy Ndume who was reported in the Punch of Thursday April 13, p. 5, as having killed two wives of his in 16 years. "He had earlier slaughtered his first wife and was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment" He regained his freedom in 2003, he then married another woman whom he has now also slaughtered. Incidentally, he was the one who reported himself to the police. His is one of those rare cases. For the most part, Nigerian women suffer and die in silence. It is worse when there are children in the marriage. A woman is advised not to jeopardise her children's future by reporting her husband to the police. She suffers in silence until tragedy occurs as in the celebrated case of a Lagos-based big man who threw his wife from the first floor of their home onto the street below. She was suspected of infidelity. She died. Too many women have been killed on the grounds of infidelity and it is not in all cases that the matter is taken to court.

Like women, children also suffer. Each time the story is told of how a child in Europe can report his or her parents to the police, Nigerians scream "God forbid!" The brutalisation of children like forms of cruelty against women, is regarded as part of the African cultural experience which should not be interfered with by western morality. International Human rights is therefore accommodated in a conveniently selective manner. . So this is where the challenge lies. The Lagos House of Assembly may make the law for record purposes, as proof of its own enlightenment, but how can it be enforced if nobody uses it to reaffirm individual human rights? The Speaker says the law is meant for everybody. It is not impossible that there are men in this society who are abused by their wives.

I have actually heard of men who are beaten by their wives regularly. But who is that man who will go to a police station to report that his wife beats him? Who is that child who will report his parents to the police and receive attention? Or the maid who will go to the police station to report how she had been raped by Madam's husband? How many families, in a society where stigma is very strong and rumours never seem to die, can advertise their daughter as a victim of rape? All the women whose husbands subject to psychological violence by marrying other women, in violation of the marriage oath, how many of them can insist on justice under the law on bigamy, which is for all practical purposes, a dead law?

Domestic violence is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a universal problem, to the extent of being a human problem. The difference is that in other societies, the will exists to address the problem and the institutions apply the rules accordingly. There is also public enlightenment, and the society is not structured in such a way that human beings live in fear because they are helpless. The greatest threat to the dignity of the human person in Nigeria is the failure of the framework for human freedom. We must restructure our democracy to address the interests of vulnerable groups in society who are the major victims of all forms of domestic violence.

Investment in education is important, the more educated and enlightened a woman is, the more difficult it is to subject her to abuse, especially if she is economically independent. Too many people, men and women willingly sign off their basic rights as a shield against poverty. The police and the judiciary have to be retrained and sensitised to treat cases of domestic violence with the seriousness that it deserves. In many cases, the standard response of the court is to dissolve an abusive marriage, without awarding proper sanctions against the offending party. Unfortunately, the caveat here is that a court cannot inquire into a matter that is not properly before it. But how about rape? To prove an allegation of rape, the complainant may be subjected to great humiliation.

For whatever it is worth, the proposed law on domestic violence in Lagos state should establish the procedure for the investigation and prosecution of offences under the law; it should fix the minimum age for marriage for boys and girls at 21; it should insist on compulsory education for girls and boys, and the setting up at state expense of a counseling and monitoring centre for violations of human rights with special emphasis on women and children. The mechanism for enforcing the law should also include collaboration with the NGO network which appears to have more up-to-date information on cases of domestic violence.

Robot  # 1 | 16.04.2006 04:34

The Domestic Violence Bill that is curren...Read the full article.

Abraxas  # 2 | 16.04.2006 09:04

THE MARIE-JUANA PAPERS (Part #1): (Proceedings and transactions in virtual reality: Post-Village Square deliberations of Señorita Marie-Juana ABRAXAS (Ms.) Dr. Reuben Abati: Can additional laws alone change the situation in Nigeria? Señorita Marie-J: Lingering feelings of benign helplessness, with the collapse of law and order in Nigeria, is a non-trivial threat to the continued meaningful co-existence of human beings in that country. Simply put, the police and the legal profession in Nigeria, including the judiciary, are dysfunctional, corrupt, and downright useless for all Nigerians: rich or poor; young or old; male or female! Nigeria therefore needs complete bottom-up, top-down re-engineering of its law-making (legislature), law-enforcement (the police), and law-enactment (the judiciary, and legal practitioners) functions in order to reverse the trend. Dr. Reuben Abati: The Nigerian constitution also does not allow any form of discrimination on the basis of gender …blah, blah, blah! … Women, children and …blah, blah, blah! … Human rights …blah, blah, blah! …the 1999 Constitution. …blah, blah, blah! …. Señorita Marie-J: Are you talking about the same constitution under review by Distinguished Senator Ibrahim Mantu, et al? If I may ask: What has 3rd Term got to do with human rights, or vice versa? Between the “urgent” and the “important”, I would be more prone to address the “urgent” first. I believe Mr. OBJ’s 3rd Term is a more urgent issue for Nigerians to think about, than abstract deliberations on the pitiable predicament of thoroughly sexually brutalised house-girls, or voluntarily raped luscious big men’s wives. Please let us focus on General Obasanjo (The Great) our major headache today, before he Abacharizes into a life president (even long after his death!) Dr. Reuben Abati: What has happened is that there has been no will on the part of governments and institutions to enforce the relevant laws. Señorita Marie-J: I agree with you, in toto, my dearie. Dr. Reuben Abati: The intent of a bill can only be justice, and the protection of the dignity of human beings. But can anyone guarantee justice in Nigeria? Señorita Marie-J: Of course, every village moron, hunchback, and drunkard in Nigeria knows, like hell, that justice cannot be guaranteed in their country. And that, exactly, my darling, is the problem. Nigeria’s justice services providers (i.e. the police, the lawyers, magistrates, judges) are simply out of synchrony with needs of the rest of Nigeria, to put it very mildly, non-confrontationally, and diplomatically. Dr. Reuben Abati: I have actually heard of “big men” who are regularly beaten to pulp by their beautiful wives. But who is that man who will go to a police station to report that his wife beats him? Who is that Nigerian child who will report his grand parents, uncles, aunts, parents, older brothers, sisters, and cousins to the police and receive attention? Or the “house girl” who will go to the police station to report how she had been repeatedly raped by Madam's nymphomaniac husband, day-in, day-out, night-in, night-out? How many families in Nigeria, where stigma is very strong and rumours never seem to die, can advertise their daughter as a victim of rape? All the women whose husbands subject to psychological violence by marrying other women, in violation of the marriage oath, how many of them can insist on justice under the law on bigamy, which is for all practical purposes, a dead and buried law? Señorita Marie-J: NONE!!!, my darling. Dr. Reuben Abati: The greatest threat to the dignity of the human person in Nigeria is the failure of the framework for human freedom. We must restructure our democracy to address the interests of vulnerable groups in society who are the major victims. Señorita Marie-J: Correct! This is precisely what some Nigerians have been telling Baba 3rd Term for close to seven years now. But then, he would not listen. You know, he thinks he dey kampe! Dr. Reuben Abati: The police and the judiciary have to be retrained and sensitised. Señorita Marie-J: Mmmmmmm ….Muchas gracias.Thanks for that concise summary, Dr. Reuben Abati, and lots, and lots, and lots of sweet love to you all. … M-m-m-m-m-m-m-ph!

Aisha  # 3 | 16.04.2006 11:01

This Article is oh, so true. It takes one back to Folasayo's article, and the comments stating we are better than the Western nations because we do not have a 50/52% divorce rate. This spells out some of the reasons why we do not have that divorce rate. A lot of seemingly happy marriages are huge illusions. However, I don't think a Bill can save us. We have every type of law. imaginable on every subject. We are signatory to a thousand and one conventions. What is the problem? (1)ENFORCEMENT. (2) OUR VALUE SYSTEM. (the people, way of doing things, culture in a sense, etc) This is not necessarily a man versus woman problem. We are all to blame. From the cheating husband who beats up his wife, to the "other woman" who causes the break up. From the women who put pressure and look down on other women who are/single/divorced/widowed (women can actually be worse than men in this regard), to the man who thinks that by marrying a woman he is doing her a huge favor. From the failure of our government, leadership, collapse of our educational sector, to the resulting economic difficulties, which cause women to depend on men for financial support, regardless of the circumstances at home. I could be wrong, but I don't think men necessarily want liabilities, even though some are threatened by the prospect of a financially independent wife. There's so much to be said and analyzed. Bottom line: Nigeria is COMPLEX!!

emj  # 4 | 16.04.2006 12:26

Dr Reuben Abati, no law , nor bill will safe People from been battered, raped and killed. After all said and done, who will enforce the laws that are in place? Is it the Nigerian Police that does not even understand nor can interpret the laws and constitution? Or are they proposing a Task force in charge of spousal abuse? Becos u see prevention is better than cure.--- Put a task force in place that consist of all manner of cousellors and psychologist etc. Like Aisha said, Nigeria is complex, but then we will not give up on our people. There are a lot of men and women suffering from all manner of domestic violence like u said, but then who will help them out? Though we have so many NGOs and Women Groups doing their bit, it is a start, but not enough, but at least, we are sensitising the people. We will get there on day. A lot of factors are responsible for domestic violence. I believe that when a child is brought to the world, the parents one way or the other did their best, whether the child is wanted in the first instance is another issue for discuss at a later date. Every parent whether single or married, one way or the other are expected to bring up their children with the fear of God, we are meant to raise Godly, loving and caring children. The foundation on which a child is nurtured is very important, though some turn out right in life, whilst some, i don't know whether it is the gene in them, or their experience whilst growing up, turn out badly. If the father battered and beat his/her mum, the child might be lucky not to develop the same trait/disdain for women, might treat women as trash ete etc. Another factor that seem to have aided domestic violence is economic difficulties being experienced by our people, eg-- a man who had all the while been the bread-winner of the family suddenly finds himself out in the cold becos of down sizing or kicked out of work for no just cause, will of course take it out of his wife out of frustration if his psyche is not well balanced.:frown: You then have the men who just take so much joy in being the lord and master of the manor, any little slight, disrespect, oversight of who they should be in the eyes of the household will earn the woman a slapped, kick, psychological abuse--i.e where they don't want to leave a mark, becos each time the woman complains to the aunties she shows them a mark. They get better with each episode of violence, and before u know it, they end up killing the woman---:frown: How do we handle sex offenders in the land? How can we protect our children from them? Do we even know our left from our right about such issues? What do we do about Sexual harrassment in the work place in Nigeria? Are the Rules and regulations in the various work place being followed?:( There are all manner of violence and battering of people's mind also going on in the land, the whole country is in urgent need of theraphy, or we will continue to maim and kill each other, from north to south, east to west!

Naija for life  # 5 | 16.04.2006 13:11

Well, everything boils down to three choices. 1. YOU CAN SUPPORT THE NIGERIAN SYSTEM WHERE, a. Women are expected to submit to their husbands, b. Men can still marry more than one wife. c. Women receive no financial settlements from divorce, and the fate of the children are largely determined by the wishes of their fathers. d. Women receive no protection from abusive husbands. e. In the case of childless and failed marriages, the blame is usually laid at the woman's door. 2. OR YOU CAN ADOPT THE WESTERN STYLE WHERE a. A woman can be impregnated by another man while living with you, conceal the true paternity of the baby from her live in lover, and the courts would still force him to pay child support even when the true paternity of the child is discovered, simply because he had bonded with the child. b. A man can be killed in combat (it would most likely be the man since women are exempt from combat) and his wife can redeem his life insurance money a week after his death, move her new boyfriend into their marital house one day after receiving the insurance check, and have sex with her new boyfriend on the same bed she used to share with her husband. c. A man and a woman can have an argument and if the woman tells the man that she slept with his best friend the night before and he slaps her, he will be arrested for domestic violence. d. If a man asks a woman out on a date at the workplace and she disapproves, she can sue the company for sexual harrassment and receive major loot, or get him fired e. When many rich men marry women, they do so out of love and devote themselves to sharing everything with their wives. Women, on the other hand, rarely ever marry men below their social station, which explains why many beautiful, successful women remain single. It is not for a lack of suitable mates. It is because of their indisposition to the prospect of marrying a man who makes less money than they do. f. Women in the west, for all their so called liberation, never believe in paying for dates. They believe they are doing us a favor when they "grace" us with their company. g. A man can be falsely arrested for rape simply on the strength of a woman's accusation, and if the accusation is proven false, she is merely charged with filing a false police report. h. Women are not obligated to sleep with their husbands, but are still entitled to hefty divorce proceeds if they allege adultery, even if the man explains that he had to get it somewhere else because his wife wouldn't perform her wifely duty to sleep with him. And so on. Finally, we could adopt option three which would be a middle ground between the above two cultures. Personally, I see very little appeal in the western model. I think any man who gets on his knee to ask a woman to marry him should be hung by the neck until he is dead, and then he should be drawn and quatered. As for polygamy, although I do not believe in it, I do not despise it, because it is in the nature of the male to seek sexual variety. In fact, monogamy is untimately a capitulation to women's preferences because it is in the female nature to seek and bond with a single mate. Therefore it is ridiculous that a man should get on his knee to ask a woman's hand in marriage. In the name of all that is holy and wears striped pants, it should be the other way around for Pete's sake!

emj  # 6 | 16.04.2006 14:09

In a particularly, unusually mischievious mode Naija4 life, i agree with ur option three but with the following amendments-- !. That women shld pay dowry to the men, gets married to him, wait till the appropriate time, since the judiciary now cooperates with women, divorce the man and claim all his property or the fastest way out, set the man up for a big fall:evil: 2. That women should marry a man that they can turn to door mat, pummel and psychologically abuse:evil: 3. That since men are clamouring for paternity leave and allowance, they should be allowed to be inseminated and carry pregnancy to full term, whilst the woman accompanys the man to the labour ward:evil: I believe that by now u my friend will find the afore-mentioned very funny indeed, becos it is possible. Disclaimer------- was not in my right mode when i wrote this, it is my fellow forumite, NAIJA4LIFE who led me to this very interesting silliness. Please skin him alife:D

busanga  # 7 | 16.04.2006 18:00

I agree with the crix of Abati's writing; but the part of marrying at 21 only I dont know. Prez Bush snr was 20 when he married his 19 year old bride Barbara..what has this got to do with legality? While I think the age should be regulated, picking a random age like 21 without recourse to societal norms or scientific research will amount to walking in the dark. I will support a 16-20 minimal range.

Naija for life  # 8 | 16.04.2006 22:25

Hey emj, Love your idea, but you see, if the roles were reversed, I get to take half of what belongs to her after a divorce. I'd love to be a house husband, to stay home and take care of the kids, and watch tv and talk on the phone while she works like crazy to support the family. I'd love that. But she must cater to me. She must buy me nice things on a regular basis, keep me in beer and electronic gadgets, and take out a big life insurance policy with me as the beneficiary. For that I will be the best house husband ever. I will cook and clean like nothing you've ever seen, and what's more, I'll never complain that I am too tired for sex. Love your idea, emj. I hereby promise to vote for you for president whenever you run. :biggrin:

Free Publius  # 9 | 17.04.2006 00:56

At first blush, the problems laid out by Abati seem almost insurmountable. However. I think these anomalies can be rectified starting in three key areas: 1. EDUCATION. No less than secondary education should be mandatory for every child in the state. Set up schorlarships to ensure that girls with good grades can get post-secondary education notwithstanding any economic challenges. Invariably, most well educated women do not take the degrading treatment abusive men hand out to their wives. 2. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. Women should be better protected in the workplace. A woman should not have to choose between her job or sleeping with her boss. Make it the law that anyone who sleeps with their subordinate stands to cost the company a ton of money in fines and damages. The courts, who can more reliably follow the laws than the untrained police, should be the venue to adjudicate these rules. 3. DIVORCE SETTLEMENTS. It is the epitome of unfairness where a woman who suffered through with a man is thrown out with nothing after a divorce. I dont know whether the American regimen of a 50/50 spilt is the right idea but the women should certainly be entitled to something to avoid becoming destitute as a result of a divorce. Again, the more enlightened courts should administer the rules in this area. If these are successfully implemented, we should see the lot of women improve dramatically within a short time. Western women used to be subjected to all manners of degradation (such as being legally counted as chattel, couldnt own assets in their own name, etc.) until rules in these areas were put on the books and successfully enforced. Free Publius

purple  # 10 | 17.04.2006 15:26

This Domestic Violence bill may help curtail incidents such as this case published in the Guardian on April 7th. Anger, at the death of a mother • Women protest, warn husbands as police seize man over wife's death By Seye Olumide THOUGH in her late forties, Charity Nwamatam still had not lost much of her beauty. People who knew her in the Iba Housing Estate, Iyana Iba, Lagos neighbourhood, often commented that she still looked a beautiful woman, almost as good-looking as in those earlier years when she was single and worked as a kind, attentive auxiliary nurse. Indeed, time, as it sped by, left its marks on everything, including Charity, who seemed to carry so visibly the matrimonial burden fate had placed on her shoulders. Those who knew her in the neighbourhood loved her, and they were many. She was one of them, having lived in their midst for many years and still lived in the very same apartment she had packed into many years until her death on Sunday, April 2. Her marital burden was not a secret. She told her story to whoever cared to listen; hoping help could come from anywhere. None came and she died. The late Charity lived with her husband, Gibson and their twins, Chukwudi and Ogechukwu, at Plot 94, Block 218 Flat 5, and a short walk to her shop on Zone D Road. She was also known for her dedication to the church and for her readiness to assist others, especially her fellow women who came for advice. It was, therefore, understandable that her sudden and mysterious death in the early hours of April 2, prompted demonstrations and protests among the womenfolk in the estate. They marched round, vowing that justice must be done, and warning men to desist from beating their wives. The peaceful demonstration by the women has continued for the past four days when they held candle procession for her and also moved round the estate to send a message to men who indulge in brutalising their spouses to stop forthwith. Although none of the relatives of Charity was available to talk, an elderly woman who was also a part of the demonstrators and knew the deceased from childhood, Mrs. Ajike Olori, told The Guardian that Charity's was a sad and regrettable incident that took residents of the estate by surprise. According to her: "What happened to Charity was like a destiny, a cross she had chosen to bear, which later terminated her life. She spent her youthful days in this estate before she got married". On her death, a woman who shared the same block with her said: "On Sunday morning, at about 1.00 a.m., we heard some noise and struggle in the deceased's apartment. We thought it was the usual fighting between Charity and her husband, Gibson. "For a long time, they have never been at peace with each other. Sometimes, the man would beat her to a state of coma and the husband would insult whosoever ventured to interfere. "Several times too, some of us in the neighbourhood had assisted to rush the deceased to hospital after the husband might have beaten her. "So, on Sunday when we heard the struggle in the night, we thought it was their usual fighting and after a while, it stopped. But at about 6.00a.m., Gibson called on some men in the block to help assist his wife who was in a coma. However, before we knew it, two of his friends who were not staying in that block were already in their flat. "My husband and I and some neighbours rushed into their flat. By then, Charity was naked and almost dead. As we were praying while also making preparations to rush her to a nearby hospital, I asked the husband what happened and why he did not alert his immediate neighbours first before calling his two friends from a distant block. I wanted to know what they were doing there since 4.00 a.m. "He answered that the deceased received a phone call from their home town that a relative died and she fell immediately and became unconscious. "She was rushed to a private hospital, El-Shadai, in the estate but it rejected her. Before we took her to O-Yems, another private hospital, she had given up." But another neighbour, Titi, who said she was with Charity on Friday and Saturday, told The Guardian that she was already dead before she was taken to the hospital. According to her: "At the time I ran to their flat when someone told me what had happened, I met her naked on the floor, her tongue hanging out of her mouth, faeces all over her body while her neck was swinging. "She was dead before she was taken to the hospital. But the question we want an answer to as women in the estate is: What actually transpired between the husband and wife before she died? Why was she naked? And what were her husband's two friends doing there? We suspect foul play and that is why we are crying for justice and pleading with men to stop beating their wives." For Juliana Onoh, another friend of the deceased who could not hold back her tears: "The death of Charity must not be accepted just like that, un-investigated. The husband had never been fair to her because several times, he would beat her thoroughly." She continued: "Gibson is jobless. It was this same woman who carried all the responsibilities in the home. She once confided in me that she bought a commercial bus for the husband but the man mismanaged it. She also set up a business centre for him. That too was mismanaged. Rather than find a job to do, the husband would accuse her of flirting and afterwards, beat her." Juliana added that on Friday, Charity told her she did not want to take home about N80,000 from a thrift society because of her husband. I told her to be careful, not knowing that would be our last meeting. "I strongly suspect foul play and I want the police to do a proper investigation into the circumstances surrounding Charity's death," she said. However, another sympathiser said that the last few weeks she met Charity before her death, "she told me that her husband was having an affair with their house girl. We both concluded that she should take the girl for pregnancy test. Though the result of the test was negative, the girl had venereal disease. "I had advised her severally to separate from the husband not necessarily to divorce him but to avoid the regular beatings. My friend stuck to the Bible doctrine, which kicks against divorce, or gave excuse that she could not leave her children". But Charity's death has spurred the women in Iba Housing Estate into action. They have been organising a demonstration every night aimed at warning men who indulge in wife beating and also to honour the woman. As at Wednesday when The Guardian visited the estate, a condolence register had been opened with a small portrait photograph of Charity hung in front of her shop. One of the women leaders told The Guardian that the demonstration is to forestall cases of fratricide in the estate. "It is becoming rampant. Six months ago, a grand mother deliberately killed her grandson in this estate. Many women are victims of brutality from their husbands. We want a stop to all these," she said. However, Charity's body has been deposited at the Badagry General Hospital while the result of the post-mortem is being awaited. But the alleged killer husband was remanded at Ojo Police Station where the incident was initially reported before it was later transferred to Adekunle Police Station, Panti. An officer at the Ojo Police Station confirmed the incident to The Guardian but said the matter has been transferred since it was murder case. But the women have expressed concern that the police were trying to handle the allege murder with levity. They called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero and the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adebayo and all Nigerians to ensure that justice was done. "We are not categorical about who killed Charity but there are some questions that need to be unravelled," they said. But in a dramatic turn on Tuesday, a man who had notorious reputation for brutalising his wife took to his heels when the angry women decided to visit him. According to Juliana: "On Tuesday, we took the demonstration to a known wife-beater in the estate who initially dismissed us. But when we pounced on him, he took to his heels." 2003 - 2005 @ Guardian Newspapers Limited (All Rights Reserved).

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