The UK Metropolitan Police have reportedly advised Nigerian wives to avoid reporting their husbands to the authorities for domestic disputes that might be resolved privately.
In a viral video captioned “UK Police tells Nigerian wives: Stop reporting your husband to us. Manage your home”, the police have noticed that their intervention is being sought too frequently for issues that might not need legal action.
A Nigerian-descent policeman addressed the women, saying, “I think we need to change our orientation. If you feel like your husband is not important, go back to the roots. Even if he’s not doing anything, being at home, sometimes your child might listen to him more than to you. If he says, ‘stop it,’ the child might stop. As a mother, you might be on your own. But if he doesn’t say stop, he will stop.”
The officer continued, “Sometimes, it’s the way we build our homes. Women might feel that the man is nobody, but we need to manage it as best as we can. We need to teach our children about family values and not let personal disputes escalate to the police. Let’s try to manage the situation better at home.”
This video is interesting. The way Nigerian couples are reporting each other to the police is unprecedented. You guys have to learn to be calming down📌 pic.twitter.com/2ELgu0tLBk
— Dele Olawanle (@dolawanle) September 9, 2024
This advice follows a recent viral video where a Nigerian woman in the UK suggested that many family disputes could be settled privately instead of involving the police.
She highlighted the importance of maintaining family unity and resolving issues amicably.
Netizens has reacted to this advice have been mixed on social media. Some people supported the idea, while others expressed concerns about its implications.
Gozie (@uzomauzo5) tweeted, “For police to ask women to stop reporting their husbands. Then it has definitely become a menace. Nigerian wives do you actually gain anything from being a single mother?”
Son of Man (@OsebiFy) commented, “It just means most of the black women there are toxic people. They also didn’t marry their husbands for love. Just their money and as a survival means.”
Similarly, Queen_Vee💕 (@marv__ee) voiced her opinion, saying, “They’re taking advantage of the rights there. Why would you report the husband you claim to love over every issue?”
Other reactions highlighted cultural challenges and the shift in expectations when Nigerian families move abroad.
AbidoShaker (@therealdotun) questioned, “Is it true that if you relocate a woman to the abroad, you will regret it?” Meanwhile, G-Boss360 (@Game_Boss360) remarked, “😂 so UK dey bring out Nigerian women true color.”
Some expressed strong disapproval of the increased reports. Oluwa (@Oluwa_9) simply said, “Dey play oo,” while Ym🇳🇬🇬🇭 (@HorlamilekanYm) warned, “Take a Nigerian woman abroad at ur own risk.”
Others, like James Of Wonders (@jamezwonder), went further, stating, “Nigeria women are so rotten. Smh.”
The rise in domestic violence reports among Nigerian women in the UK is linked to a shift in cultural expectations.
Some women, experiencing a different legal and cultural environment, may feel empowered to report issues they might have handled privately in Nigeria.
