CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The issue of husbands being battered by their wives in various homes has become topical in public places and a good number of men are going through hell as a result of the development.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that 43-year old James Aneke was brutally attacked by his wife, Ann over his inability to provide for the family and was only rescued by the neighbours as the helpless man could not fight back.

The incident happened at Calvary Estate in Idimu, Lagos where they reside but James could not report the assault to the police due to shame.
The wife became so bitter against the husband as she claimed he had deceived her that things were alright but when they eventually got married, she later discovered that he was jobless and by then they have already wedded in the church.

P.M.EXPRESS spoke to some of the victims who shared their experiences on the condition that their full names will not be published.
Mr Onyeka revealed that his wife used to attack and beat him whenever she was angry and was close to him at that moment. He said that on several occasions, she had slapped him in the presence of their children but he kept calm and did not reveal it to his family members because of the shame. He said that it was not that he cannot beat her silly but due to his background and orientation that a man was not supposed to beat his wife by any means or reasons and she started abusing the privilege.

Onyeka could not reveal such to neighbours or his family members because he did not know how to report such assault and had to bear the agony and pains because of their children.

Another victim simply known as Tony said he had to separate from his wife because of the constant beating he was receiving from her. He said his own case was so bad because his wife was taller and bigger than him and he could not challenge her because she was stronger in both height and stature. When the beating became unbearable after hiding it for several years, he had to call his family members and revealed the assault. Tony said though he did not divorce her because of the children, he only visited them and went back to where he was now living as advised by the family members.

The case of Onyeka and Tony were quite different from what happened to Ubom who confessed that he started it all.
Ubom said he was beating his wife almost on daily basis not knowing that his wife was stronger that him but only pretended to be crying whenever he was beating her. He said it got to the extent that she could not bear it anymore. He was surprised that when he attempted to beat her as usual, she resisted, grabbed him, attacked him strongly and he had to plead with her before she left him.
Ubom said since then, he became afraid of her and always listened to her to avoid such sad experience.

P.M.EXPRESS spoke to some people who confirmed that these days women have summoned the courage to attack their husbands in their homes.
A female legal practitioner, Barrister Chinyere  Nwabuenyi-Anukwu, said thatassault on men were real as she had to intervene on several occasions to resolve some of these issues between couple.

She pointed out that there were factors that led to such development which she ascribed to frustration, disappointment and pressure on women in various homes. Nwabuenyi-Anukwu said some women have taken up most responsibilities at homes and became violent due to pressure and attitude of their husbands.

“Where  women take care of domestic matters that were meant for men,  obviously it will make women restless and violent and that could led to such behaviour.”

She also noted that most vulnerable men were those of small stature who preferred to marry huge women and so in some cases the man might not cope with such woman’s strength if he does not have the financial power to control her.

However, Nwabuenyi-Anukwu noted that it was a sad development that needed to be discouraged in the society.
She said despite the status of a woman in the society, the man remained the head of the family and the women should know that and not be unruly highhanded.