The Akwa Ibom Police Command has detained Ekere Ebong, a lawyer filmed in a viral video brutalizing his wife at their residence in Uyo, the state capital.
The circulating footage, spanning five minutes, depicts Ebong assaulting his wife, who lay on the ground with blood emanating from her mouth while pleading for him to halt the violence.
Neighbours intervened, rescuing the woman and confronting Ebong. One neighbour revealed that the man had been subjecting his wife to nightly beatings for nearly four years.
The video triggered widespread outrage on social media, prompting Nigerians to demand the lawyer’s arrest.
Police spokesperson, Odiko Macdon, in a statement on Monday, labeled Ebong as “a known habitual perpetrator of violent acts against his wife over the years.”
Macdon confirmed that the lawyer would face prosecution following the completion of the investigation.
“As an agency saddled with the protection of lives and property and maintenance of law and order, we cannot allow Barrister Ebong to continue this flagrant abuse of human rights, hence, the commissioner of police, CP Olatoye Durosinmi ordered the arrest of the suspect to prevent murder and breakdown of law and order,” the police spokesperson stated.
Emphasizing the agency’s commitment to safeguarding lives and maintaining law and order, Macdon highlighted the necessity of halting Ebong’s continued infringement of human rights. The CP cautioned against violent actions, urging families to seek amicable resolutions to disputes rather than resorting to physical assaults.
