Violent man blinds wife for demanding care for children, flees home

By Adamu Aliyu Aliyu/ABUJA//

The incident happened last Wednesday at their residence in Osogbo.

It was gathered that Oluwatomi, a tiller, who often travels to Lagos State for work, has left his house and his whereabouts is unknown as at the time of this report.

Odunayo who revealed that she started living with her husband in 2019, said there was no form of wedding ceremony and that their relationship was a mutual consent of both of them.

She, however, added that she knows some members of his family, except Odunayo’s father.

She explained how they met in Lagos before relocating to Osogbo to live with him. The 32-year-old victim, who said she is a fashion designer, narrated how she left the work owing to lack of support and financial challenges.

Odunayo disclosed that she has two boys for her husband, adding that the man had married two different wives and gave birth to a child each for him but they parted ways violently.

“It was after I married him that I discovered that he had married two different women in the past and he used to beat them,” she revealed.

The victim, an indigene of Oka-Akoko in Ondo State, said trouble started after Oluwatomi refused to provide money for feeding for his two boys aged five and three years, adding that all her efforts to make him pay their school fees proved abortive.

“My husband prefers to gamble with all his money than sponsoring his children in school,” she claimed.

She added, “He doesn’t take care of our children. He only gives us money to eat whenever he likes. I am a fashion designer but since I got married to him, I have expended all my savings on feeding our children. I can’t cope again. For some time now, I have been going out to do menial jobs. I do bricklaying jobs, go to people’s houses to assist them in their chores to raise school fees for my children.

“People have intervened but he remained adamant. He has a site he is developing and he always says that he will not train our children until the house project is completed but he plays bets (Bet Naija) and that makes him not have money for us. He doesn’t have money at hand due to this. I have reported to his parents. He said until he completes his building, that’s when to sponsor our children’s school fees. They promised to talk to him. I also reported him to our pastor. He still remained adamant.

“I have an ulcer and my heart used to hurt me whenever I carried bricks at sites. I told him that I am tired of the relationship. I said I will relocate the children to my parents. He didn’t say anything. We were not speaking to one another for months and whenever he demanded for sexual intercourse during the period that we were keeping animosity, I used to ignore him. Sometimes, I will call him for children’s feeding, he will send money once a while and other times, he will not send.”

On how the suspect allegedly unleashed his anger, the victim explained, “Last Sunday, I went for a vigil and he came and didn’t meet me. On Monday, I returned from church. I told him not to use my gas to cook but he said he will refill the gas. This happened because for some weeks now, he buys only the foods that he will consume and hides them. I also get my own and use them in feeding our children.

“On Wednesday, I told him that I was going to work. When I returned, I was going to Owode for a film rehearsal. I left the children for him. He said I should not bid him farewell and said he will beat me until I lose my sight. He started beating me and injured me in my eyes with punches.”

Odunayo also recalled how her husband beat her when she was pregnant with their first child, and demanded for justice.

Efforts to get the suspect’s reaction were not successful.

A human rights activist, Citizen Lola Wey, who assisted in taking the victim to the hospital for treatment, told THE POINT that the matter has been reported at Dada Estate Police Station for necessary action.

THE POINT reports that the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) recognises the abandonment of a spouse, child, or other dependent without means of sustenance as a form of economic abuse, and it is punishable by law.

Section 16(1) of the Act deals with Abandonment of Spouse, Children & Other Dependants and proves thus: “Any person who abandons his or her spouse, children or other dependants without means of sustenance is liable on conviction to a maximum of three (3) years imprisonment or a fine of N500,000 or both” while sub section (2) provides, “Any person who attempts to abandon his or her spouse, children or other dependants without means of sustenance is liable on conviction to a maximum of two (2) years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 or both.”