Domestic violence: Man abducts own children including one month old baby, to punish his wife!

A 29 year old caterer identified Angela Okwaroha has cried out against the domestic violence meted against her by her husband, asking relevant authorities to wade in and help rescue her children, including a month old baby allegedly abducted and and kept at an unknown location by her husband.  

According to Angela, she lived with her elder sister simply identified as Tina, before she got married to Anthony in October 2006, at the tender age of 22. 

The Akwa-Ibom state born mother of three said amidst tears, that she met Anthony who is in his 50s  for the first time when he came to their Ikorodu branch of the Lord's Chosen Charismatic Church and spotted her. He went to the pastor in charge of the church and asked for his permission to marry her, as according to him, he had found the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Young Angela was called and informed of Anthony's decision, to which she agreed, thinking he would make a good husband. Her family was also contacted, and the rest was history as the next couple of months saw both families prepare for the marriage which today, resulted to the birth of three beautiful children. But as was gathered, it was also a marriage that was bedeviled with constant domestic violence.

Angela narrates her ordeal: "I got married at the age of 22 to Mr. Anthony Okwaroha in October 2006, he is  the one in charge of writing the bulletin and stickers at The Lord's Chosen Charismatic Church and we have been blessed with three children. 

"It happened that Anthony Okwaraha came to the Lord's Choosen Church branch where I worshiped, he spotted me and went straight to the pastor in-charge and told him that he has seen the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. I agreed to the proposal because  was young and naive, I lived with my elder sister then.  

"Not long after our wedding, I took in, but in the seventh month of the pregnancy, My husband started acting suspicious of my every move. He would wake up from sleep and tell me that he dreamt that i was abusing myself with another man, and I would be left with no choice but to defend my self from the imaginary affair. Early one morning, around 7am, he called me from work, and because the television was on, he heard the voice of the male news presenter and asked me who I brought into the house, that he heard the voice of a man, I told him the t.v was on, and the male voice he heard was from the t.v, but he insisted there was a man inside the house, that I should wait for him. I thought it was nothing, only for him to come home from work around 8pm. He kicked the door open, bounced on me, held my neck in an attempt to suffocate me, he beat and bit me on any part his teeth came in contact with, despite my condition.  There was blood all over. At that point I fought back, to protect myself and  pregnancy from him, because I know that if he hit my stomach at that point, I would give up. My scream attracted our neighbours who rushed to our house, they managed to separate us and asked what the matter was. They also expressed their disappointment in my husband, who they say normally preached in the estate every morning. More over we were newly wedded couple and just moved into the estate. Who do I know then, if not to go to work and return back home, talk less of inviting some one into the house. Later that night, because my husband locked me in, I managed to sneak out my phone to one of my neighbours Who saw my state and decided to help me contact my relations. I gave him my phone and quickly asked him to go through my phone and call my sister, so that I they would come and take me to the hospital. My sister came as soon as she was called and I was rushed to the hospital from where i was taken to her house. I still have some of the bite marks. Now that my son is a bit older, he would look as my hand and ask me how come I got the mark and I would not know what to tell him". She said a midst tears.

Continuing her story, Angela told how the okwarohas pleaded with her to return back to her husband, promising they would ensure she was never mal-handled again, but the beating increased when ever she was heavily pregnant to the point of putting to birth as not even members of his family was able to deliver Angela from Anthony's battering. she said:

"When I was discharged from the hospital,  my sister took me to her house. I was there, when Anthony came with his people to beg and ask me to return home, saying that they have been to the church and had settled everything. I asked him if he was sure he was okay, otherwise they should just allow me stay in peace in my father's house, because I thought that was how the world is. At that point, I was tired of everything. His brother said 'in short, I will be the one to marry you now, you won't experience that sort of ill treatment again'. Based on that assurance, I returned back. Things were normal between us until I took in for my second baby, when he unleashed his terror side again. He would say that he saw me in his dream where I was walking with one man. Then the fights and beatings would begin. When ever these beatings start, the neighbours would forcefully drag me away from him and hide me,  then they would call my sister to come and carry me before Anthony will kill me. When ever he beats me, he would make sure that I was deeply wounded. After I had recovered he would come with some members of his family to beg, then after much considerations, I would return to his house. Whenever I am not pregnant, he would be very caring and loving. But immediately I take in and at the point of almost putting to birth, when he notices that I wouldn't have any strength in me,   he would start his troubles in a very dangerous way.

"On November 8th, 2013,  I went into labour for the birth of my last child. Due to the fact that he was not always around during my pregnancy period, he would come check on us and then leave to the church where he works. I didn't experience much trouble with him. But on the day I went into labour, I was returning from a visit to a fellow caterer who i was working with when the child came pushing, i tried to at least walk home and see if i could get myself to the hospital, as my house was not too far from where I was, but my baby had a different plan. I gave birth at the gutter in front of one Prominent Nursery/ Primary and Secondary Schools Ikorodu. After that I used my leg to kick at the gate of another building nearby, the owner, a woman came out and saw me, she ran in, got a basin of water, took the baby, bath her, she cleaned me up and with the help of some other good Samaritans around, I was taken to a nearby hospital. My husband was called, but when he came, he refused to pay the bills, saying after all I did not give birth at the hospital, that it was at the gutter side I gave birth, therefore why would he pay to the hospital.

"Suspecting his normal trouble, one of the pastors of our church, who is also from Akwa-Ibom intervened and signed an agreement with the hospital that he would pay the bills. The hospital discharged me and he took me to my home. When my husband came home later on, he tied my hands and legs, asking me what gave me why I agreed to the pastor's decision to pay the bills, when I did not give birth at the hospital? He started beating and biting me again. I managed to flee for the third time to my sister's house.

"Some days later, my husband came, took my children including the new born baby to an unknown place. Up till now, I don't know where my children are, I have not set my eyes on them. My sister took the matter to court, but some members of our Church came and told her to retrieve the case, that they would help locate and get my children back. I am still waiting for that, but I want the whole world to hear my plight and help beg Anthony Okwaroha to please return my children back to me. My breasts are swollen with milk, I need to breast feed my new born. This is the worst thing that can be done to a woman. Please help me". she lamented.