A 55-year-old man, Ifeanyi Akachukwu, faced charges of assault before Magistrate Patrick Nwaka of the Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday following allegations of assaulting his wife.
Akachukwu was accused of assaulting his wife, Chioma Akachukwu, after a disagreement, leading to serious bodily harm.
The prosecution, led by Prosecutor Thomas Nurudeen, detailed the alleged assault, stating that during a dispute in October 2022, the defendant dragged his wife to their room, where he struck her in the face, causing her to lose an incisor tooth.
He then reportedly subjected her to further physical violence, including twisting her hands behind her back and attempting to strangle her.
Nurudeen informed the court that the accused’s actions violated Sections 173 and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Upon pleading not guilty to both charges, Magistrate Nwaka set bail at N100,000 with four sureties of the same amount, requiring them to be gainfully employed with verifiable addresses.
The case was adjourned until June 10, 2024, for further proceedings.
The court appearance comes amidst a concerning trend of domestic and sexual violence in Lagos State, as highlighted by a PUNCH report from September 2023, which documented 5,624 cases recorded between August 2022 and July 2023.
In response to the prevalence of such incidents, Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Titilayo Shitta-Bey, emphasized the importance of victims breaking their silence and speaking up during a media parley commemorating the Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
