Police escalate gender-based violence, ignore laws

Juliana Francis

A 40-year-old housewife, Oluchi, has claimed that her husband, Longinus, has been punching and kicking her for the past 18 years.

The woman, who ran to Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN), said that the 48-year-old husband beat her at the slightest imagined or real provocation.

Oluchi, who said that her life was in danger, added that she had been crying out and seeking help all to no avail.

She first reported the matter at Ejigbo Police Station, but she was allegedly told by the Divisional Police Officer to bring eyewitnesses to the latest assault.

The matter was then transferred to the Lagos State Police Command Gender Unit, where Oluchi said that the matter took another bad turn.

She said, “When we went to Gender Unit, the idea was for him to write an undertaken, but the unit rather emboldened him. He left there the place to lock up my shop. The Officer in Charge of the Gender Unit told me that my decision to leave the marriage for my safety was too harsh. She said that I should think of my children. How can I be running for my life and the police who are supposed to help me are saying my decision was too harsh?

“I bought all the goods in that shop myself. The shop is my source of livelihood. I sell provision. He has no right to lock up my shop! I am tired of this disgrace and embarrassment.

“I borrowed money from a micro-finance bank to start the business and he has now locked it. This is sheer. We built our houses together, now he feels he can push me out. He knows that whenever I am unhappy, going to my shop to sell makes me happy. He has damaged the door to my room and my life is in danger.”

According to the mother of four, she has been married for 19 years and most of those years she has been subjected to punch and kicks.

She explained that the latest attack that broke carmel’s back happened and had her coming out of the closet, happened when she went to his bar, where his friend was having a birthday bash.

She said, “He slapped, punched and kicked me. Two years ago, because of a lady he was dating, he beat me to the extent that I had internal bleeding. Everybody knew about it, including our Reverend Father.”

Our reporter got hold of a video, where Oluchi was crying and discussing with one of her children.

Weeping in the video, she said, “He beat me as if I was a nobody. I can’t take this anymore. For years I have been bearing this. What kind of marriage is this? When I married your father he had nothing!

“Every part of my body aches me. I am somebody’s wife, yet I am struggling and fending for myself. He knows I have nobody. He beats me and causes my miscarriages. He would be accusing me every time of sleeping with other men.”

She noted that the last incident, which occurred on April 19 2024, was so disturbing that she had to run to ACVPN, where the Head Of Rescue and Referral, ComradeToyin Okanlawon, attended to her.

Our reporter contacted  Longinus to get his side of the story, but he declined to speak with the reporter via phone, WhatsApp, Voice note or SMS.

Interacting with our reporter via WhatsApp and giving his conditions, he said, “I prefer face-to-face. Lots of calls (sic), police, human rights, church, dividual (sic) and all are different approach (sic). I don’t know.”

The reporter denied being any of those parties he mentioned and urged him to use Google search to verify her identity and profession.

He then responded thus: “Okay, u sound genuine (sic). Though I’m being very careful with people before some will set me up. Is good to meet one-on-one.”

After that, Longinus embarked on a hide-and-seek game with the reporter.

Our reporter suggested Saturday and picked a venue at Isheri-Idimu area of Egbeda, Lagos, placing the meeting time at 12pm, Longinus insisted it should be 4pm.

At about 11pm on the same day, he chatted and changed the venue and time, insisting that the reporter should meet him at Ikeja on Saturday.

The reporter told him that Ikeja was quite a distance and further suggested a phone interview, but Longinus declined.

He now suggested that the reporter should give him a convenient time and that he would prefer the reporter’s office.

The reporter sent the office address and suggested a meeting on Monday by 12pm He responded, “Okay better.”

But again, he came online to change the appointment to Wednesday. The reporter told him that Wednesday was already occupied, he then said Thursday.

The reporter told him that he appeared to be playing a game and was not taking the matter with the seriousness it deserved.

The reporter further suggested that he contacted his lawyer to inform him that a reporter reached out to him. The drama between Longinus and our reporter started on Friday at noon and ended on Saturday at noon.

Okanlawon said that the matter was handled by the Ejigbo Police Station. The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) is also the OC Human Rights. The perpetrator was bailed out by his friends.

Okanlawon said, “At a later date Longinus and Oluchi were asked to report back at the station, but the DPO requested the victim to present witnesses who saw when her husband beat her up and this was despite seeing injuries on her body. The case seems to have been compromised. We were made to understand that Longinus is a cheerful giver.”

Another member of the ACVPN, Mrs Lolade Ajayi, who is also the Executive Director of DOHS Cares Foundation, said, “ A friend was with her and during the beating, Longinus pushed the woman and her arm almost dislocated. This woman went to the Police Station and told the police what she witnessed. The only thing is that she refused to write a statement, insisting that Oluchi’s case should be treated with seriousness. This woman and Oluchi went to the bar together so we do not understand why the police are still asking for witnesses. Is this not crazy? There has been a history of domestic violence, the victim said that even her children could tell the story. She said that most of the people in the bar that fateful were mostly his club members, so they may not want to speak against him, but they all saw him beating her.”

The DPO in charge of Ejigbo Police Division, a Chief Superintendent of Police, Ms Vera, explained why she asked Oluchi to provide witnesses to her assault by Longinus.

She said, “I handled this case and the perpetrator insisted that he wasn’t the one that injured his wife to make my complainant’s case very solid I asked her to bring her witness because, on theday of the incident, her close friend witnessed the incident but declined to give her statement. The man insisted he wasn’t the one who inflicted injuries on her, I asked the victim to bring a witness to help us make her case stronger.

“I am a trained Gender and Child Protection Officer who doesn’t take gender cases lightly. Since I resumed in Ejigbo Police Station, I know the cases I have transferred tothe Ikeja Gender Unit to make sure the victim gets justice and even in this case at hand I told the victim that once she brings a witness and her husband is still adamant, we will transfer to gender.”

The co-founder of ACVPN, Mr Ebenezer Omejalile reacting on the matter, said, “ACVPN’s position on this case is the unacceptable trajectory approach applied by the current Lagos Police Command, Ikeja OC Gender by name  Clementina. It is not acceptable because the OC’s Gender behaviour has clearly shown that her position is biased.

“If the OC Gender is truly an experienced Gender Unit Officer it is expected of her to apply or advise for Civil Protection Orders for the victim who alleged she suffered physical Violence for years of their union with evidence available.

“The Violence Against Persons PROHIBITION ACT VAPP 2015: clearly stated in Section 28(1) that aggrieved persons can apply for a Protection Order that would be applicable in any part of Nigeria if granted.

“Can we say the OC Gender applied this process? The answer is capital No! This is because she does not have the requisite to manage such scenarios that require common sense.

“The same applies to the Lagos State Domestic Violence Law which appreciates the fact that any person who is allegedly subjected to any form of Domestic Violence including children in the care of the victim can as well apply for a Protection Order.

“This brings to the forefront our cases that have been truncated by the new OC Gender. The new OC Gender administration required a revisit, one such case is the Sexual Harassment case and attempted murder meted out to a 15-year-old girl.

“After ACVPN threw in everything to ensure the case was taken out of the hands of the compromised Police Division, this same OC Gender acted on her prerogative of own mercy and the perpetrator was released without an explanation.

“We are calling on the current Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade, whom we know right from his days at the Sango Area Command to be a trusted, capable officer known for justice, equity and fairness, to look into this particular case and other cases that this new OC Gender has been truncating. The CP usually leaves positive footprints wherever he serves.

“The current Ikeja OC Gender should know by now that she’s already being subjected to public scrutiny just a few months in office with so many discrepancies regarding the way cases are handled. Everyone is complaining about her mishandling cases, including her subordinates.”

Our reporter contacted the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr Benjamin Hundeyin concerning the matter, asking why the Ikeja Gender Unit was not adhering to the laws in handling domestic violence, especially telling a domestic violence victim that leaving an abusive relationship was harsh.

The image maker would later respond that the OC Gender Unit denied knowledge of such a case.

According to a report,  A Guide For Para-Military Agencies (NSCDC/LNSC) In Handling Of Reports Of Domestic And Sexual Violence In Lagos State: “The story you hear may be so horrendous that it can seem hard to believe, but that does not mean that it has not happened. A woman is unlikely to make up an allegation of domestic violence. Victims of domestic violence want to hold their family together, and they can find it difficult to disclose violence for a variety of reasons.”

The Reporter further states: “Studies have shown that the likelihood of prosecution improves by between 66 and 70 per cent when an officer lists more than one witness on a domestic violence report. The time it takes to interview neighbours, speak to the Emergency caller, who reported the crime, take statements, or interview children present in the home is worthwhile. It is difficult to determine who is telling the truth when only the defendant and victim are interviewed.”