IT disturbs to know that anyone could mindlessly cause his loved one avoidable pains even as the ordinary Nigerian struggles to contend with the pangs of economic hardship caused by official policies ostensibly enunciated to reset the tottering economy. And it is also frustrating that despite unrelenting campaigns by the government and non-governmental organisations against domestic violence, some unscrupulous citizens seem to be set in their ways, making the home front a battle ground. This frustration is further heightened by the fact that the perpetrators of such gross domestic abuse also include those who by reason of their career choices ought to be disciplined and restrained, and to whom recourse would ordinarily be made when domestic violence happens. For instance, the man who allegedly amputated his wife’s hand recently in their home in Dong, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, is reportedly an Inspector of Police! And the immediate cause of the disagreement that culminated in the dismemberment of one of the hands of his pregnant wife from her body is even patently pedestrian.
According to reports, a misplaced/missing sum of N20,000 belonging to the policeman, and out of which he reportedly needed N3,000 urgently but couldn’t have it, resulted in an argument between him and his wife. And the disagreement ultimately snowballed into a vicious assault and grievous bodily harm on the woman. Apparently, the policeman believed, albeit without proof, that his wife took the money, and was miffed that she could not release just N3,000 to him from the total sum. And in a fit of unbridled rage, he cut off her hand! Assuming but not conceding that the wife stole the money in question, is that a justifiable reason for a policeman to resort to callous, vicious and precipitate action? This is a shameful, disgusting and highly disappointing action by a person who belongs to a supposedly disciplined and regimented service.
Indeed, the Inspector’s alleged brutal conduct raises a litany of posers that put a question mark on the soundness of his mind and demonstrate the folly of impulsive and irascible fellows who are wont to act in a precipitous fashion at the slightest provocation. For instance, now that the bestial policeman has cut off his wife’s hand, has he won the argument or got the money he reportedly needed urgently? How can someone be so callous as to sever the forelimb of his wife from her body as if he were a butcher dealing with cattle? What kind of madness is that? Just how could marriage lead to physical disability in patently avoidable circumstances? If a man could inflict such grievous damage on his wife, what would he not do to another person’s wife? And indeed, if he could callously and willfully cause his wife such terrible pain, what respect would he have had for the civilians he was in contact with? Are the children even safe? And is this man not a veritable danger to the society as some of his children may copy him and act violently and irresponsibly in future?
It is not unlikely that this individual belongs to the tribe of aberrant and vicious cops who kill innocent citizens, especially motorists, for failing to succumb to their extortionist schemes and for sundry other reasons that could irk undisciplined uniformed men. And, of course, there is no gainsaying the fact that this policeman must have been treating suspects in a terrible manner. The man most probably has a history of violence, otherwise argument over N3,000 should not have degenerated to the level of inflicting permanent disability on his significant other. And on that score, we reiterate our usual advice that women who are married to violent men, and vice versa, should run when they still can, in order to save their lives. By the callous and reckless action of the policeman, the parents and family of his wife have been thrown into deep sorrow because of the terrible condition of their child. It is good to know that the undisciplined policeman has been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation. We enjoin the police authorities to do justice to this matter and shun any attempt at invoking esprit de corps to the advantage of the suspect. The individual in question is bad advertisement for the force and it is in the enlightened interest of the authorities to distance themselves from his criminal and morally reprehensive action by ensuring that justice is served. That way, they will be showing to the public that his despicable conduct does not reflect the training and expected behaviour of the average policeman.
Apart from the recent violent action of the policeman, there have been other cases of violence by citizens lately, all of which point in the direction of remote causes. Truth be told, the prevailing economic hardship in the land is putting many on edge. They are irascible, literally taking actions devoid of reason and thoughtfulness. It is, therefore, imperative that the government expedites action on finding solutions to the parlous state of the economy, which has been fingered in many quarters as one of the main causes of violence in the society, especially in homes. The rate at which citizens are buckling under the pressure of severe economic hardship and turning into savages is alarming and intolerable. Meanwhile, the suspect should be painstakingly investigated and brought to book , while the victim and her unborn child should be assisted by the state to receive adequate medical attention. It will also not be out of place to help the victim to procure an artificial limb to enable her to cope well with post-trauma life. As a lasting panacea to the heightening spate of domestic violence, though, the government must be more swift in its effort to rein in economic hardship on citizens. In addition, the government is urged to prioritise citizens’ education and sensitisation on anger management both in the security services and in the society at large. No modern and decent society should allow any of its citizens to continue to live a beastly life under any guise.
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