The very serious case of domestic violence, rape, drug abuse, spousal harassment, rights abuse, property destruction and illegal detention involving a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ned Nwoko, a man embroiled in several cases and forms of controversies and his glamorous now ex-wife, Regina Daniels, is nothing different from the recent shocking revelation of American rapper and millionaire, Sean ‘Diddy’ Comb.
The world was treated to the unbelievable callous, dirty and brutal world of Diddy involving several victims, including his girlfriend. The revelations involved unbridled rape of victims, drug administration and exposure to minors, political and high-profile connections used for intimidation of victims, conspiracy and silence of staff and bodyguards, and prostitution of innocent ladies.
Because the United States of America will not protect you once caught, Diddy had his day in court and currently serving his term in a US jail. Puff Daddy is far richer, more famous and highly connected than our Senator Nwoko, but faced the music for his established and proven crimes, Senator Ned Nwoko is most likely getting promotion for his alleged crimes and commit more crimes with impunity.
Unlike the United States where the law enforcement agencies promptly took over Diddy’s mansion to prevent tampering with evidence and several arrests were made leading to discovery of incriminating evidence and additional charges, the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria (NAPTIP, NDLEA, Police) remain onlookers. You can easily understand why; Ned is above the law being a member of the privileged chamber of the National Assembly; the father of Regina is a nonentity; the fight and crimes are a family affair; and all we have heard are allegations, mere allegations.
Domestic violence under the Nigerian law is considered an intentional and persistent abuse of anyone in a home in such a way that causes pain, harm or distress. Nigerian girls and women are subjected to multiple forms of abuse and violence in the homes and allowed to suffer in silence. The situation led to the promulgation of the Violence Against Person’s Prohibition Act (VAPP) in 2015 to specifically cover offences of rape, sexual abuses, domestic violence and other related offences. This was in addition to other existing laws like criminal code and penal code. NAPTIP is the agency with the mandate to enforce the VAPP while police is sufficiently empowered to enforce the criminal and penal codes.
The use and abuse of drugs freely referenced in the allegations and counter allegations between Senator Nwoko and Regina when used either by smoking, inhaling or injecting, under the NDLEA Act, on conviction, attracts imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years but not exceeding 25 years. It would be wishful thinking to expect investigation or arrest of a whole Senator of the Federal Republic under this law, but one can only hope and pray it is not deployed against Regina or some of the family members.
The purpose of this write up is not to pass any verdict on who is right or wrong in this whole disgusting very serious and sensitive matter-turned social media joke and fun of weeks and now months, but rather to expose the lack of proactive gestures on the part of our law enforcement agencies and the shielding of high-profile criminals from accountability as mark of respect for their social status. It is to condemn the perennial reduction of serious criminal offences like domestic violence, rape and sexual assaults in the homes to “marital affairs” and deodorization of crimes committed by the affluent as mere indulgence by our institutions and authorities.
Whereas the ordinary man on the street caught with smoking, trading or transporting Indian hemp is arrested and hauled to jail, we have read self-confession of use and abuse of hard drugs in high places without a whimper from relevant authorities. Whichever way it goes, Senator Ned Nwoko is an accomplice to the drug abuse offence without evidence of his reporting the crime drug abuse of Regina to law enforcement agencies. This is without conceding that Senator Ned is innocent of procuring and administering the drug or even complicity in the consumption.
If by any chance the allegedly recorded sex video of Regina gets to the public or social media, it would be an indictment on the entire human rights community and particularly women’s rights group if Senator Ned retains his seat in the National Assembly and not cool his heels in prison, just like his mate, Sean ‘Diddy’ Comb.
I have seen the publicly released international passport of Regina with a completely different surname, Ojeogwu, with a year of birth at 2001. Unfortunately, the voter’s registration card of Regina shared on social media has her surname as Daniels, the surname known to the public. Sadly, it has a different year of birth, 1998. It is interesting to note that Regina’s legal documents had no reflection of her marital connection to Ned, despite all the public displays and flaunts. Both Ned, if the voter’s card was procured after her marriage to Ned, and Regina are liable to prosecution for forgery with falsification of age as reflected on the card.
It’s not too late. The law enforcement agencies (NAPTIP, NDLEA, police) aren’t created and mandated to enforce laws only to apply selective enforcement based on status. The law is a respecter of no one.
Olanrewaju Suraju is a public analyst, commentator and activist.
About Author
