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Osinachi: Blames, Controversies As Violence Rocks Marriages

Published

3 years ago

April 13, 2022

The death of popular Christian worship singer, ‘Ekwueme crooner’, Osinachi Nwachukwu, has again brought to the front-burner the issue of domestic violence.

As news of her death spread on Saturday morning, friends, members of her church and music artistes and other Nigerians criticized her for staying in the marriage despite violent attacks from her husband.

Osinachi’s death makes it almost five of such cases this year alone.

Before Osinachi’s death, few days before Osinachi’s death, a 50-year-old man, Benjamin Ogudoro, was arrested for allegedly setting on fire his wife, Chinyere and his brother-in-law, Ifeanyi Edoziem, at their apartment on House 5 Oteyi community, Abule- Ado, in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the State.

The 46-year-old Chinyere just returned from Scotland the same day. The couple have had a series of marital crises prior to the incident. The husband had pretended to have reconciled with the wife carrying out the dastardly act.

This is not to say that men have not also had their own share of domestic abuse.

However, the gospel singer’s death has now opened up a flood of discussion on domestic abuse, with a major point of controversy bordering on whether a victim of spousal violence should walk away from the marriage.

Among the Christian community, divorce is not even considered a word to be mentioned, and this has been the major reason couples remain in abusive marriages, praying and hoping for a change of heart on the part of the violent partner.

Statistics from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) showed that in 2021, the agency dealt with 2,584 domestic and sexual violence cases for adults, out of which women were the greatest victims with 2,349 cases. The data showed that Alimosho Local Council recorded the most number of domestic violence cases, closely followed by Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu and Kosofe local councils.

The DSVRT data further showed that 143 cases were reported in January 2021 with women accounting for 133 of the total number of survivors. Most of the women were aged between 18 and 45 years. Again, Alimosho local council-led in the number of cases, closely followed by Kosofe and Ikeja local councils.

An Abuja-based lawyer and human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, while airing his views, said victims of domestic violence should divorce as many as ten men than remain in an abusive relationship and die.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Adeyanju said the only way to stop the issue of domestic violence was to punish those involved in the act, while stressing that victims should not be made to stay in such a relationship.

According to Adeyanju: “We like to tolerate bad behaviour in this part of the world; you can see in the west that once there is any physical assault, people start laying complaints, and it goes straight into your records. We need to start massive sensitization of the need for victims of domestic violence to be proactive and take steps.

“Social media is not a court of law; it’s only good for the fun, noise-making, it’s like what we tell rape victims; have you filed a complaint? You should file a complaint, and it should be in the record of the abuser.

“We have many issues of deaths in relationships because they have bottled-up domestic violence. Once somebody slaps, beats, or threatens you with a knife, run to the police station and file a complaint so that the person will be invited.

“The law places an obligation on the person who alleges that he must prove. When you make claims of domestic violence, it’s imperative on you that you must assert and prove it. I would say that it’s important we do a lot of sensitization for women, and some men suffer domestic violence in Nigeria. We need to sensitize the police also on the issue of domestic violence. Sometimes, you see people saying the police can be nonchalant when it comes to the issue of domestic violence.

“Under the Violence Against Person’s Prohibition Act, 2015, our law prohibits it and also the Protection Against Domestic Violence law. It’s important to note that the only way to prevent domestic violence is to make examples of those involved in it, so our legal system must be ready to punish perpetrators so that it serves as a deterrent to those who want to try the same.”

The blame game has not spared religious leaders who often encourage spouses to remain in such marriages.

However, a Lagos-based lawyer, Samuel Okoli, disagreed with such a notion, stressing that those blaming clergymen for domestic violence lacked knowledge of the Bible.

Quoting 2nd Thessalonians 3 verse 2, Okoli insisted that God is against victims staying in an abusive relationship.

He noted that Osinachi would still be alive if she had worked out on her abusive marriage.

He said: “I think it’s wrong to shift the blame of domestic violence on religious leaders; such a person does not understand the Bible. There is an issue in the Bible that you should not divorce, but when you can no longer cohabit with your spouse, then it’s better you leave because if you die in that condition, you will go and face your creator while your spouse will keep on living.

“So, even the Bible, 2nd Thessalonian talks about God delivering us from wicked companions. You can’t cohabit with someone who has the intention to kill you under the ground of marriage; it’s wrong because if he kills you, he has committed murder.

“Biblically, he would be punished, and by the law, he would also be punished. The law will not look at the Bible or Quran when they want to punish you. When you know that your life is in danger and the possibility of physical abuse by your partner, it’s best you leave the marriage. The Bible allows that. It says you should separate from such a companion. Your failure to leave means that if one person kills the other, the law will hold the person; the law will not look at what the Bible says because you have committed murder and even the Bible is against murder. Osinachi’s husband is in police custody now; if the woman had left, the husband wouldn’t be in the police net, and if he is found guilty, the punishment is life imprisonment or death sentence, depending on the court’s verdict. She would have fulfilled what the Bible commanded if she had separated herself.”

On what the law says, Okoli said: “The law stated that you leave; for instance, the Lagos State government has a department at the State command where if your spouse beats you, you can go and report; and it’s a punishable offense. The Lagos State criminal code faults it. The law is against it.”

The constitutional lawyer further blamed domestic violence on what he termed Psychological assumption and Stockholm syndrome of the victims.

“Why they stay in the relationship, you can look at it from the psychological perspective because domestic violence victims usually have feelings for their oppressors. I have been at events where some girls are saying they love guys that are hard on them, which is a psychological problem. I don’t know if you have heard about Stockholm syndrome? A situation where a person starts developing positive feelings for their abusers.

“Also, abusers are under the erroneous belief that once you are married, only on cheating can you depart; that is not true. The Bible has made it clear in 1st Thessalonians that deliver us from evil companions; if your companion is evil, then separate yourself.

“And once you stay, both the victim and oppressor won’t have it funny; it becomes a double-edged sword.”

Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the Special assistant on media and publicity to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, also makes remarks on the stand of the church about divorce in case of domestic violence.

Pastor Adebayo said that divorce is a sin in Christianity, adding that if a man/woman is abusing their partner, it means the marriage was not ordained by God.

He told DAILY POST: “Domestic violence is unacceptable, ungodly and unbiblical as far as the church is concerned anywhere in the world.

“There’s no church that condones it and anything that’s not biblical is not acceptable in the church. There is no church that will preach divorce because the Bible says God hates divorce and the church can’t do otherwise. If you hear any relationship that ends up this way, ask if they sought the consent of God before they came together. The Bible says what God has joined together, let no man to put asunder; but what about the one God did not join together.

“The fact that a woman and man go to the altar to get married does not mean God brought them together or the fact that they go to the registry does not mean God brought them together. If you see a man beating or abusing his wife or otherwise, apparently God did not bring them together. In any divorce, it is either the couple or both were insensitive to God before they came together.”

He further appealed to singles to listen to God and be spirit inclined before choosing a partner as that is one of the ways to avoid abusive marriage.

“I appeal to the singles not to be blinded to generosity or the fact that a man is a celebrity or from a wealthy home, they should ask God and their spirit if it’s a man or woman they can stay with, but if they are blinded to sentimental things by the time those things are no longer there, problems will start.”

However, Pastor Honest Owunari of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, told DAILY POST that in case of domestic violence, the church permits separation till the offending partner changes.

According to him, a woman or man being abused will be separated by the church not divorced because that is a sin.

He, however, added that such a woman while being separated prays for her husband to change his ways or remain single and never remarry for the rest of her life.

“As a church, we advocate separation in cases of domestic violence. This is the best time for the church to take a stand on it and tell the congregation that separation for a period of time is necessary in cases like this.

“Within that period, we hope the other party will change. In the case of Osinachi, if she had left the house, who knows the young man would have changed; divorce is not right but violence is a sin and could lead to murder. What the man has done is a sin and it’s not right and the solution is for the church to tell anyone going through such to be separated.

“For a woman that is separated, her duty is to pray for her husband to change his life, move on with her normal life but is not allowed to remarry,” he stated.

Also, Obed Minchakpu, a Christian activist advised the church to be more proactive and take up the challenge of educating young couples about domestic violence.

“I feel bad about the death of Osinachi. It is ungodly for anyone to take the life of another person. Osinachi’s death in the hands of her husband who should have been the person protecting her is tragic and should be condemned by all.

“I learnt that her husband is a preacher and is involved in Christian ministry. His character does not reflect the person of Jesus Christ. The Church in Nigeria and Christian leaders need to take up the challenge to end domestic violence in Christian homes.

“There’s a need for biblical-based teachings on marriage and matrimonial matters if the Church in Nigeria is to live up to the purpose of its existence, that of winning lost souls for Christ,” he said.

Similarly, a Roman Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Oluoma Chinenye John, the Parish priest of St John-Mary Vianney Trademore Estate, noted that Osinachi’s death was avoidable.

He said there was nothing righteous about enduring life-threatening violence in marriage.

According to him, whatever made the singer stay in the abusive marriage was ungodly.

“Death in marriage by the hand of an abusive spouse is avoidable, don’t honour it. We all woke up to the sad news of the death of Osinachi, a gospel singer, famously known for the song EKWUEME. Suddenly, the cause of her death started filtering. I’m now reading that she died from injuries from violence by her husband.

“The news going round now is that she’s been enduring this violence for years. So, her death, for me, was avoidable. Whatever made her stay in that marriage, despite constant life-threatening violence CAN NEVER be godly. There’s nothing pious and righteous about enduring this violence for years. So, her death, for me, was avoidable.

“There’s nothing pious and righteous about enduring life-threatening violence till death. The Bible never says “blessed are those who are killed by their husbands or wives, for theirs is the kingdom” nope, it rather says “Blessed are you when men persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account, rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven,” Mtt 5:11-12.

“If spousal violence is the cause of Osinachi’s death, she won’t be the first, I don’t know if she will be the last, but I hope her case will help,” Father Oluoma said.

News

UK Police Quiz Six After Fatal Synagogue Attack

Published

33 minutes ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

Six people arrested on suspicion of “terrorism”-linked offences after a fatal car-ramming and knife attack on a UK synagogue remained in police custody on Saturday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged people not to take part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Two people were killed and three others seriously wounded in Thursday’s attack in northwestern Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Police shot dead the assailant, Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent, within minutes of the alarm being raised.

Three men and three women are in custody.

The attack has heightened fear among Britain’s Jewish community.

Police said they were patrolling places of worship across the city “with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities”.

The attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the occupied territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

The Gaza conflict has inflamed passions in Britain, with frequent pro-Palestinian rallies in cities that some critics allege have stoked antisemitism.

A “global movement for Gaza UK” protest went ahead in London late on Thursday, with police making 40 arrests.

London’s Metropolitan Police asked organisers delay another planned demonstration backing the banned Palestine Action group later on Saturday.

However, organisers Defend Our Juries rejected the calls.

A spokesman said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the attack.

– Accidental shooting –

Starmer urged protesters not to join the pro-Palestinian rally.

“I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain,” he said on X.

During the attack, Shamie was seen “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through”, synagogue chairman of trustees Alan Levy, who helped barricade the doors, told ITV News.

“The heroes of the congregation who saw what was happening then came to the doors because he was trying to break the doors down to get in,” he added.

A UK police watchdog, meanwhile, said it would look at the police shooting of Shamie.

The probe would also look at the shooting of a second victim who suffered a fatal gunshot and a third person who was shot but survived.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said there was no evidence anyone other than police used firearms at the scene.

“Our independent investigation will look at the circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of Jihad Al-Shamie,” it said in a statement.

“A post mortem has today (Friday) concluded another man who died at the scene suffered a fatal gunshot wound.”

IOPC investigations are standard practice in situations where the use of force by police may have resulted in the death of a member of the public.

News

Edo Inaugurates Committee On Drug Abuse, Healthy Living

Published

4 hours ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

L-R: ACGN, NDLEA, Fidelis Cocodia, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani during the Inauguration

Edo State Government has inaugurated Drug Control Committee for the state and local governments, aimed at curbing the menace of drug abuse in the state.

Inaugurating the committee, Governor Monday Okpehbolo said the committee was not only saddled with the responsibility of curbing the menace of illicit substances, but to promote healthier living across communities in the state.

Represented by his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Okpebholo described the initiative as “a vital step in our unwavering commitment to stopping the menace of drug trafficking and substance use among youths.”

The governor, who bemoaned the rising tide of drug dependency and its impact on society, pointed out that the committee’s creation aligns with the national drug master plan and represents a bold stride toward protecting Edo future generations.

On his part, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, represented by ACGN, Fidelis Cocodia, Zonal Commander, Zone 13, emphasised grassroots interventions, awareness campaigns, and support systems as the backbone of the fight against drug abuse.

Edo State commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed that while national drug use prevalence stands at 14.4 percent, Edo state surpasses the average at 15 percent.

He noted that the state is one of the hardest-hit states in the country, warning that the trend has fueled crime and heightened youth vulnerability.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole pledged to make Edo a model in drug control through rehabilitation, youth enlightenment, and second-chance opportunities for recovering addicts.

Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, described drug abuse as a pandemic, noting that “you hardly see a crime without drugs being involved.”

She added that women’s empathy and influence must be harnessed in the campaign against drug abuse.

News

Avoid Mistakes Of 2023 Elections, EU Tells Nigeria

Published

7 hours ago

October 4, 2025

Editor

The European Union has raised the alarm over the slow pace of electoral reforms in Nigeria, warning that without swift action, the country risks repeating the “serious shortcomings” of the 2023 general elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Barry Andrews, a member of the European Parliament and chief of the EU Election Observation Follow-up Mission to Nigeria, presented a sobering assessment of progress since the EU Election Observation Mission delivered its final report in 2023.

“In this context, we are here to reflect on how electoral reform can deepen the roots of democracy here in Nigeria,” Andrews said, adding that the EU deployed a follow-up mission comprising three experts on 9 September 2025 to engage stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, political parties, civil society, the media and development partners.

The mission chief reported that of the 23 recommendations made by the EU EOM in 2023, only one had been fully implemented; two had been partially implemented; eight were ongoing; nine were yet to be implemented; and for three, it was still too early to tell. Eleven recommendations require legal changes, and 12 are administrative in nature.

“The fully implemented recommendation is ensuring institutional accountability by consulting on the publication of election-related laws. INEC has carried this out, but that is one of 23. There is much more work to do, and I want to re-emphasise that this is a critical moment,” he said.

“Our evaluation indicates that progress in implementing the recommendations has been modest thus far and is in serious danger of falling to critically low levels.

Avoiding this outcome will require both political will from legislators and urgent, coordinated administrative actions by relevant institutions,” he warned.

Despite the slow progress, Andrews noted a strong consensus among stakeholders. “What we find especially important is the strong alignment we see between the recommendations of INEC, civil society — through the Citizens’ Memorandum — and those of the EU election observers. Each of these three processes was conducted independently, and yet they point in the same direction.”

He emphasised that Nigerians themselves — within institutions and in civil society — are calling for the same changes international observers have highlighted. “It shows that there is a broad and shared understanding of what needs to be done to strengthen future elections,” the mission chief added.

Andrews acknowledged that work has begun on electoral reform, including ongoing deliberations on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 and constitutional review processes, both of which incorporate several of the EU’s recommendations.

He welcomed growing collaboration between civil society organisations and lawmakers, noting that civil society has contributed technical expertise and advocacy while Parliament has created space for engagement.

Andrews said the success of reform hinges more on political will than on technical drafting.

He outlined six priority recommendations deemed essential for improving Nigeria’s electoral integrity and stressed the importance of transparency in the appointment of a new INEC chairperson, expected later this year.

“A transparent, non-partisan and merit-based appointment process will strengthen INEC as an institution and give citizens greater confidence that the commission will improve its professionalism, neutrality and independence,” he said.

The mission chief also highlighted the need for greater transparency in results management. “We all saw in 2023 how quickly confidence can be eroded when polling-unit results are missing, uploaded with poor quality, or collation appears disorganised.

Andrews further flagged the extremely low representation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions.

He praised the discussion around the reserved-seats bill as a potential milestone toward inclusivity.

Turning to electoral offences, Andrews warned that widespread impunity for misconduct — such as violence, vote buying and misuse of state resources — continues to threaten election integrity. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said, noting that prosecutions remain too few and too slow.

He described the proposed electoral offences commission as a much-needed step forward.

He also stressed the importance of legal clarity, saying INEC needs a stable legal environment to carry out its responsibilities effectively, from voter education to budgeting. “If reforms are adopted too late, they risk causing uncertainty or even becoming impossible to implement,” he said.

Finally, he raised concerns over the safety of journalists, citing ongoing reports of harassment and violence against media professionals. “What is needed is a credible system to investigate and prosecute attacks swiftly and effectively. That would show that freedom of expression is not only guaranteed on paper but also upheld in practice.”

In concluding his remarks, Andrews acknowledged progress, especially in legislative engagement and discussions around gender representation, but warned that “the window for reform is closing fast.”

He urged political actors to seize the current momentum to deliver reforms that can safeguard transparency, inclusiveness and credibility in the 2027 elections, noting that falling turnout in successive elections shows the stakes have never been higher.

“We are supporting Nigeria through our Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme,” Amb. Mignot said. “We are doing this by supporting the implementation of the recommendations of the EU observation mission with technical assistance — for stakeholder consultations, for instance — partly through institutions such as the National Assembly and civil society.”

He clarified the EU’s approach to off-cycle elections, distinguishing formal observation missions from “watch visits” by diplomats. “We don’t do observation missions in off-cycle elections,” he explained.

Recall that INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during the EU’s visit to the commission’s headquarters on Thursday, confirmed that only eight of the 23 recommendations made by the EU in 2023 were directly addressed to the commission, and just one was marked as a priority.

Yakubu warned that failure to act swiftly on electoral law amendments could disrupt planning for the 2027 elections.