The wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Priscilla Otti has called on legal institutions and security agencies to swiftly implement laws and measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence.
Mrs. Otti made the call on Sunday at the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia, where she visited a woman named Mrs. Amarachi Lawrence from Atta Emede Ibeku in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State.
Mrs. Lawrence, suffered brutal physical abuse at the hands of her husband, Mr. Lawrence Chukwunyere. He inflicted severe injuries to her eyes in an attempt to pluck them out, along with machete cuts and genital mutilation.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Mrs. Otti revealed that her team took action promptly once the case was reported.
The Governor’s wife said the visit was intended to assess the victim’s condition and explore government support for her treatment and quick recovery even as she made cash donation to the victim.
According to her, ” investigations are still in progress, the husband could not have acted alone, the state is dedicated to uncovering the truth, promising that everyone implicated will face the full weight of the law”
She emphasized the important role of community involvement in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and praised Emede community youths, Eze Allen Okpokiri, for their quick and effective response in intervening and reporting the case.
An eyewitness account by Mrs. Lovejane Nwiwu, the landlady of the couple, stated that the couple had been living peacefully without any quarrels until this unfortunate incident where the husband assaulted, used a machete, and mutilated the wife for reasons that are yet to be established.
She added that in a bid to save the young lady, she too, got several cuts from the victim’s husband.
Also the head of the community neighborhood watch, Mr. Ambrose Jonah, mentioned that he received a report stating that Mr. Lawrence had complained to his friend named Odogwu that his wife has been unable to get pregnant after one year of their marriage.
The said Odogwu took him to a prayer house in Aba, after which he returned, performed some sacrifices, and became abnormal.
This led to him reciting incantations and attempting to murder his wife.
Earlier, the director of nursing services FMC, Mrs. Onyemaobi Aisha said that the victim is currently receiving treatment but until her recovery we cannot ascertain if she will still see with her eyes again.
Meanwhile, the Governor’s wife visited the traditional ruler of Emede community, Eze Allen Okpokiri and assured him that justice for Mrs. Amarachi will be served.
She stressed the need for a functional GBV response team in the state, noting that the committee will be established soonest to mitigate cases of domestic violence before it escalate.
