An Ogun State-based beautician, identified as Balogun Jumoke, has cried out for justice after losing one eye following an alleged assault by her husband, Balogun Jamiu Abiola, in Sango Ota, Ogun State.
The Nigerian police, however, dismissed the case as a “family matter,” advising the couple to settle it privately.
Jumoke alleged that her husband dragged her by her hair, kicked her in the chest, and slammed her head on the ground.
“He dragged me from the room to the sitting room and out into the compound,” she said.
Speaking to SaharaReporters on Thursday, Jumoke revealed that the incident occurred on Thursday, November 14. She also disclosed that she has endured physical abuse throughout their 15-year marriage.
She said she does makeup, facials, pedicures, also do lashes and brows.
Jumoke said, “On the evening of November 14, 2024, he beat me badly, leaving me with one eye swollen shut. He dragged me by my hair, kicked me in the chest, and knocked my head to the ground. He dragged me from the room to the sitting room and out into the compound.”
She told SaharaReporters that her second son was away, but her first son was at home. He had been sick earlier, so she gave him green tea, and he fell asleep. When she came back, she had already called the nurse to give him medication.
“He beat me again, and I have lost one eye. I want justice. My family and I are not safe. His family continues to threaten me, warning that I won’t like the consequences if I don’t take down my posts.
“I don’t have money or a father to turn to. My father passed away in March this year. When he was alive, he used to tell me to beg my husband, saying that the man is the head of the family. He even made my husband sign a document promising to take responsibility if anything happened. But now, I don’t want to be silent anymore,” she stated.
“I have two boys, aged 13 and 11, and I want to be their mother. I want to raise them well and give them a better future because I’ve suffered enough. I stayed for their sake, but now I can’t anymore. I want to live and survive.”
When SaharaReporters asked if she had filed a complaint at any police station, she said, “I had already sent my sister to inform my friends and others who could help me get out of the house. When my friend arrived, she immediately took me away.
“He tried to confront my friend, but she didn’t even look at him. They made sure to get me out of the house and went straight to Obasanjo Police Station in Sango-Ota. When we got there, some officers were shocked when they saw me.
“They attended to us immediately and suggested we file a report and make statements, which we did. A sergeant or another officer was assigned to follow us.
“On the way home, they gave me a medical letter to take to a nearby hospital—a general hospital beside the police station. I went there quickly, and my sister accompanied the policeman back to our house.
“Before we left, the policeman said my husband had left and that he wanted to take the child to the mother. He told us it was a family issue and advised us to try and settle it. That was the last I heard from them.”
.Jumoke has called on Nigerians to assist her in seeking justice, claiming that her second child has been affected by an infection.
Meanwhile, efforts made by SaharaReporters to obtain a response from Mr Balogun Jamiu Abiola were unsuccessful, as all three of his phone numbers were switched off.
When SaharaReporters contacted the Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, SP Odutola Omolola, she did not answer her calls nor respond to messages sent to her.