A 55-year-old man, Ifeanyi Akachukwu, was arraigned before Magistrate Patrick Nwaka of the Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting his wife.
The defendant was charged with two counts of assault. The charges alleged that he assaulted one Chioma Akachukwu after a disagreement.
The prosecution claimed that in October 2022, during a disagreement, the defendant dragged the victim to his room, and struck her in the face, causing her to lose an incisor tooth. He further beat her up, resulting in serious bodily injuries. Additionally, he was said to have twisted her hands behind her back and attempted to strangle her.
Prosecutor Thomas Nurudeen informed the court that the alleged offences occurred sometime in October 2022 and contravened Sections 173 and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to both charges but Magistrate Nwaka set the bail condition at N100,000 with four sureties in the same amount. The sureties must be gainfully employed with verifiable addresses.
Nwaka adjourned the case until June 10, 2024, for mention.
Investigation by National Daily reveals that from September 2023, the Lagos State Government recorded 5,624 cases of domestic and sexual violence between August 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023.
During a media parley commemorating the Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs Titilayo Shitta-Bey, urged victims of sexual and domestic violence to break the silence by speaking up.
