Woman Detain Husband For Taking Second Wife
Charles Chiawa, A Lagos resident, has been detained at the Ejigbo Police Station on the orders of his wife, Uche Chiawa, for allegedly taking a second wife.
It was learned that Charles and Uche have been married for 20 years, but trouble started when Charles reportedly had a child with another woman eight years ago.
Charles maintained that he had the right to take another wife since his marriage to Uche was conducted under traditional customs.
However, Uche argues that their union was not only a traditional marriage but was also registered as a court marriage, giving her legal grounds to take action against her husband.
“I also did court, not only traditional marriage. I used police to arrest him because he always beats me,” Uche told SaharaReporters on Friday morning.
A source familiar with the matter described what appeared to be a blatant abuse of police power, allegedly facilitated by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ejigbo Police Station, CSP Patience Osuagwu.
“Charles was detained at Ejigbo police station by his first wife on the allegation that he married another wife,” the source said.
“I was told the first wife has connections with the woman DPO at Ejigbo, and she wants her husband to suffer inside the cell.”
According to the source, efforts were made to secure Charles’ release, but Uche reportedly blocked every attempt.
“I reached out to the DPO, who said she would transfer the case to the gender department. I told her the man should be granted bail since it is a bailable offence. She agreed and said someone should come forward to secure his release.
“I told the second wife to go. When she got to the station, she met the first wife, who insisted that the man shouldn’t be released because he needed to suffer. Imagine the authority!
“I called the DPO again to ask if she was aware that the second wife was there to bail her husband, but the first wife insisted he shouldn’t be released. The DPO said, ‘That does not concern me.’
“I told the second wife to go again and not go alone this time, but they sent them out like dogs.”
When contacted, the second wife also corroborated the alleged abuse of power by the police in the matter.
“My husband was arrested around 2pm yesterday (Thursday) when he went to visit the first wife and he called me. I went to the police station to bail him but the first wife kept saying they should not release him. That he wants him to suffer inside the cell.
“This is almost 24 hours now after his arrest by the police for what appeared to be family matters and they are not willing to allow us bail him,” the second wife added.
When asked about the allegation made to SaharaReporters by the first wife that Charles beats her, she denied it, stating that her co-wife did not mention anything like that at the police station.
“She did not raise any issue of beating at the station. She just brought it up when you called her,” she said.
When contacted CSP Patience Osuagwu for her response, she was dismissive.
“If that is the story they told you that led to his arrest, if you like, you can believe it, but I will not explain what happened to you on the phone unless you come to our station,” she said.
When told that visiting the station might not be possible, she bluntly replied, “Then I am too busy to tell you what happened.”
