A 27 year old domestic violence victim, Mrs. Esther who resides at Ijora with four children, has advised women passing through any form of domestic violence to break the bond of silence and speak up against such actions. Narrating her ordeal on a live program on Channels TV on Tuesday, she said her decision to share her story, was due to the recent murder of a banker, Ronke Shonde in Lagos by her husband, Lekan. Esther said she held on to her marriage despite being a victim of domestic violence, which she had to endure for over seven years, disclosing that her childhood was plagued with hostility from her stepfather, which led her into the hands of a man who allegedly made her life a living hell. She revealed that she got pregnant for her husband when she was 18 year old and the beating and abuse started after the birth of her child . “I have no access to anything in the house; when he wants to go out, he will disconnect the wires and lock up the refrigerator. He denies my basic needs by locking up vital items in the house while he went to work. When he is at home, I can’t come out to his presence, I can’t sit on the bed or chair unless he asks me to. He would always say I didn’t come to his house with chair so I can’t sit on it. I became pregnant for him at 18 and safely put to birth. My baby was 9 days old when my husband started sleeping with me. I will complain of pains and he would not care. He will shout at me, tie up my hands and legs to have sex with me daily. I endured all these because I had nowhere to go. I was there until I had 2 children for him despite the torture. After 2 more children and 3 abortions, I knew I had to move on with my life, else I will die in that house. I left the relationship after 7 years,” She narrated.
