The stakeholders made their feelings known in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos State.
They said that the female gender such as wives or girlfriends were mostly at the receiving end of this domestic violence
NAN reports that in the past few weeks, there had been reported cases of couples killing each other .
For instance, the case of a nursing mother, Mrs Damilola Opeyemi, who allegedly stabbed her husband, Oluwashina, to death during a fight over noodles dinner on July 4, 2023 in Ibadan.
Another incident was that of a man simply identified as Inuaghata, who allegedly killed his pregnant wife, Osaretin, 23, by using a knife to slit her throat. He had gone into hiding since the incident happened on May 24 in Edo.
Also, on July 5, a housewife, 21, Mrs Maimunatu Sulaiman, allegedly stabbed her husband, Aliyu, to death during an altercation that ensued between them in their residence in Bauchi State.
Similarly, a 56-year-old man, Aminu Abakubar, allegedly killed his wife, Nana Fadimatu, by hitting her head with a hard object following a little disagreement on May 5 in Adamawa,
On July 12, a 21-year-old student, Augusta Onuwabuagbe, was killed by her boyfriend, Benjamin Best, 26, in his apartment in the Ajah area of Lagos State, the suspect is currently on the run.
Another similar incident happened on July 18, where a 54-year- old man, Nkeruewen Etuk, beat his lover, Miss Esther Ndereke, 34, to death for allegedly burning his rice in Calabar.
According to the CLEEN Foundation, one in every three respondents admitted to being a victim of domestic violence.
Speaking on the issue, a legal practitioner, Isaiah Ode, says that killing of partners begins with a disagreement which leads to domestic violence.
”Most women that were killed by their husbands had been physically abused prior to the murder.
“Many women that kill their husbands reacted to the incessant inhuman treatment their husbands had subjected them to,” he said.
According to him, men who were abused in their childhood or observed their fathers abusing their mothers are at greater risk of abusing their wives.
Ode advised people who were constantly being abused physically to run for their lives as they could be potential murder/manslaughter victims.
He said that spousal killings would continue to be on the rise if the society continued to force people to stay in an abusive relationship.
“Parents, religious leaders and others should stop advising couples to remain in toxic marriages.
“The society puts stigma on divorcees and those that cannot stand the pressure remain in the toxic relationship till they become a victim or murderer,” he said.
He listed aggression, alcoholism, drug abuse, frustration, job loss, infidelity, sex denial from partner as some of the factors that may be responsible for domestic violence.
In his own contribution, Pastor Peter Ayeni of Victory of God Mission, Ayobo, Lagos, said that the incidents of couples killing one another was a sign of the end times.
Ayeni said that many spouses, lovers have been killed by those who claimed to love them.
“How can you claim to love somebody and kill him or her. The book of 1 Cor 13:4 describes love as patient and kind,” he said.
According to him, psychological assessments of intending couples should be conducted before marriage, in order to end the ugly trend.
He urged intending couples to marry on genuine love not on material things so as to avoid early exit on earth.
According to him, do not marry any person with the believe that you will change his or her bad habits after marriage, it may not be easy.
On her part, Mrs Bose Ironsi, the Executive Director of Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), an NGO, said that domestic violence was a violation of human rights and the Nigerian Constitution frowned at it.
She said that both men and women experienced domestic violence but the majority of victims were women and the men were most often the perpetrators.
Ironsi, who is also the managers of Ireti Resources Centre, said that most people were now better informed about the Domestic Violence Law of Lagos State and its penalties for offenders.
According to her, the law has not really helped in reducing the crime but that with the constant awareness, people are now reporting more incidents and getting justice.