PUNCH
BIODUN BUSARI, in this report, sheds light on the heart-wrenching realities of femicide, exposing the brutal and senseless murders of women in a relentless wave of unprovoked violence. He writes that these heinous acts are perpetuated and enabled by a deeply flawed judicial system, one that fails to adequately address the uniquely gendered nature of such crimes, leaving victims’ families to mourn their loss in a society that seems to turn a blind eye to their suffering
“Nnem, Ije di egbuemu o!”—translated as, “Mother, the journey of marriage has killed me”—were the heart-wrenching, agonising screams of Chioma Nwana, echoing through the night after her husband, Nwana, doused her with fuel and set her ablaze on the evening of January 21, 2025.
The barbaric act took place in their home at Eziezekew village, Abagana, in Anambra State.
This gruesome act followed a bitter confrontation over suspected infidelity.
Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, Chioma, a mother of six, succumbed to the unbearable pain of severe burns.
In an eerie twist, her husband later walked into the Abagana Divisional Police Station, confessing to the heinous crime that ended his wife’s life in an act of unspeakable violence.
On December 24, 2024, tragedy struck in the Nsokkara area of Ezza South Local Government, Ebonyi State, when Joshua Nwafor allegedly savagely beat his wife, Charity, to death over a tuber of yam.
The shocking incident stemmed from a simple domestic disagreement: while Nwafor insisted that the yam be cooked, his wife preferred to roast it.
According to the State Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, in a fit of uncontrollable rage, Nwafor dragged Charity into their home, locked the door, and mercilessly assaulted her until she died.
In another chilling incident, a man residing in the Ipaja area of Lagos, Sunday Bakare, was arrested for allegedly beating his wife, Habibat, to death. It was reported that the woman had endured years of domestic abuse.
Her brother, Lookman, during an interview with PUNCH Metro, recounted seeing his sister and her husband riding past him on a motorcycle in the early hours of the morning. Shockingly, just an hour later, he was informed of her sudden death.
While confirming the tragedy, Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer said the case was being handled by the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.
Ugly statistics
These heart-wrenching events underscore the devastating consequences of unchecked domestic violence, where the lives of women are extinguished in the most unimaginable and senseless ways.
This phenomenon, known as femicide—the most extreme form of violence against women and girls—continues to pervade societies globally.
In 2023 alone, an estimated 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide. Startlingly, over 60 per cent of these victims—more than 51,000—were murdered by intimate partners or family members, according to a joint report by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The organisation revealed that this grim statistic translates to one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes, or 140 women and girls losing their lives each day.
Femicide, with its profound social and economic repercussions, remains largely underreported and undocumented in Nigeria.
The report further highlighted that Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide in 2023, followed by the Americas and Oceania.
More bite the dust
On October 4, 2024, the quiet streets of Elepe in Ikorodu, Lagos, were rocked by a chilling tragedy – the alleged killing of Olajumoke Olaniyi, who was six months pregnant, by her husband Motunrayo.
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