Quote:
Originally Posted by Lafem
.. how bad could the problem be... that'd drive a man to murder his wife, the mother of his children?? Even in naija, one hardly hears of domestic issues deteriorating to such lengths; worst they'd do is exchange blows, which ofcourse isn't good either, but atleast they'd part ways with their lives.
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Not entirely true. Sadly, wife murder and torture are very common in naija - just ask any policeman or lawyer. In fact, the criminal law curriculum for law students in naija is full of wife murder cases. The reason why it may not seem that way is that wife murder in naija is traditionally hushed up within the family for the sake of the kids so that they don't grow up knowing thier dad killed their mum. Sometimes, such murder cases go unreported for that reason. It may also have a class dimension. Poor women from working class and rural backgrounds are more likely to be battered and murdered by their spouses - if you are not from that background, it may seem unlikely to you.
If you go to any major police station or magistrate court in a major town or city in naija, you will hear lots of domestic violence cases. If you ask me, domestic violence is even more of a problem in naija becasue the police and courts won't do much for a battered wife. The policemen are wife-beaters themselves so they will merely taunt the woman and tell her to go home and settle with the husband.