Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with officials from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Women Affairs Secretariat, have arrested a man seen brutally assaulting his wife in a viral video.
The operation was led by the Mandate Secretary, Mrs. Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi.
In a statement released on Monday, May 19, NAPTIP confirmed that the suspect was apprehended at the busy GSM Market in Wuse, Abuja.
The victim, 25-year-old Theola Joseph, was also rescued from their apartment in the Wumba community of Apo, Abuja.
The disturbing video, which sparked public outrage, showed the man pinning down Theola’s neck and violently beating her with a table tennis bat while their three children screamed in terror, pleading with him not to k!ll their mother.
According to human rights advocate Harrison Gwamnishu, this was not the first time the suspect had allegedly attempted to kill his wife.
He revealed that the victim had previously sought help from the police multiple times but was repeatedly dismissed with the advice to “settle it as a family matter.”
Reacting to the incident, NAPTIP Director General Binta Adamu Bello (OON) strongly condemned the man’s actions and emphasized that the case will be investigated and prosecuted under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015.
She assured the public that justice will be pursued and that the agency remains committed to protecting victims of domestic abuse.
