The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has confirmed the apprehension of the elder brother of Abigail Chris, a lady who recently spoke out on social media platform X about the persistent abuse she endured from her sibling.
Responding to the outcry, agency spokesperson, Joke Ladenegan-Oginni, assured that prompt action had been taken, and the brother is currently in police custody.
Abigail whose ordeal began in 2014, suffered the most recent attack on December 21, 2023.
Disturbing images circulated online depict injuries, including a cut above her left eye and bruises on various parts of her body.
Quest Times further reports that Abigail, in a note dated the same day, expressed a desire to cut ties with her family, hoping for a better life in the coming year.
“I wish I had not been born or probably not born in our family. Maybe I won’t have Emmanuel as a brother and just be me. I just wish my next year will be better since I’m going to cut them off, and I just hope they don’t find a means to find me and make my life miserable again,” she stated.
Reports also suggested that the family had allegedly been concealing the brother’s actions.
A voice recording surfaced, with Abigail narrating her past assaults and the male voice, believed to be her brother, coercing her to stay silent and misleading authorities.
Confirming the incident, Ladenegan-Oginni stated that the agency swiftly intervened, providing a referral to the Okokomaiko Police Station.
Moreover, the spokesperson revealed that the perpetrator was arrested by 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
While the investigation is ongoing, the spokesperson for Lagos State Police, Benjamin Hundeyin, remained unreachable for comments.
The case highlights the urgent need to address domestic violence, an issue that the Lagos State government acknowledged with 5,624 reported cases between August 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023, averaging 250 clients monthly, as disclosed during the Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month media parley in August 2023.