Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in conjunction with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Women Affairs Secretariat, have arrested a man captured in a viral video battering his 25-year-old wife with a table tennis bat.
The operation, led by Mandate Secretary Mrs. Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, took place at the GSM Market in Wuse, Abuja, where the suspect was taken into custody.
The victim, Theola Joseph, was subsequently rescued from their self-contained apartment in the Wumba Community of Apo, Abuja.
In the disturbing footage, the man was seen pinning his wife’s neck down and repeatedly beating her with a table tennis bat, as their three children cry and beg him not to kill her.
According to human rights advocate Harrison Gwamnishu, the abuse has been ongoing, with the husband allegedly attempting to kill his wife on previous occasions.
Despite several reports to the police, officers reportedly dismissed the matter as a “family issue” and advised the couple to reconcile.
NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, strongly condemned the attack and assured the public that the case would be thoroughly investigated and handled under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of 2015.