For allegedly abdicating his fatherly duties to his four children, Ibe Akachi’s wife, Joy Imeribe, has poured hot water on him.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on May 29 at the couple’s 21 Karounmi Street in Ijeshatedo, Lagos.
Imeribe, who was paraded yesterday for attempted murder and domestic violence by Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal, told reporters she acted in self-defence.
The woman, who said she had lived with Akachi for 13 years, despite his failure to pay her bride price, said: “My action was in self-defence. The father of my children always beats me. In fact, on one occasion, he even stabbed me with a knife on the left hand.
“What happened this time was that he left the house without dropping money for food. I had to borrow N1,000 from a neighbour to prepare food for the children.
“…I also borrowed another N2,000 from my neighbour to buy second-hand clothes from Yaba. My plan was to resell the clothes at Aswani Market so that I could get money to keep feeding the children.
“As I returned from Yaba at 4 p.m, my husband, who I met at home, asked me where I was coming from. I told him the truth, but he did not believe and started beating me.
“He claimed I was a flirt and had gone to see some of my male friends. The beating went on all night. In the morning, when I noticed he had gone into the kitchen to prepare his food, I also went there and boiled water to bath my children.
“He wanted to start beating me again. To defend myself, I carried the boiling water in a bucket and poured it on him.
“My husband has not been keeping up with his responsibilities as a father and man of the house. He outright refuses to bring money for food and other upkeep.
“When I saw the injury on his body, I regretted my action. But I did it to protect myself. I had moved out of the house early this year but after pleas from him and friends, I returned with my children. It is about six weeks ago I came back and he started with his old ways.”
Decrying the spate of domestic violence in the state, Edgal emphasised the need for couples to discuss their problems and solve them without resorting to violence.
He said: “Findings in the matter revealed that the husband and wife had a verbal disagreement, which did not go down well with the wife. She went to bed with grudges on her mind. The next morning, while her husband was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, the wife, who had been seething with anger over the unsettled issue bordering on her keeping late nights, boiled a bucket of water and emptied the content on her husband.
“She did not deny committing the crime; however she told the police that her husband used to beat her in the past. She would be charged to court.”