Stella Iwuagwu, PhD, MS, MPH, BNSc.

CHES, RN
Leigh Okwudi, BSHS, McNair Scholar,
Cleveland State University
Presented at the annual conference of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA), Los
Angeles, California. November, 13-18, 2011
Violence against women declared a
public health crisis (Garcia-Morenoa &
Wattsb, 2011, WHO 2005).

Koffi Anan described violence against

women as perhaps the most shameful
human rights violation, and the most
pervasive, knowing no boundaries of
geography, culture or wealth. (1999)
 Majority of violence against women are
perpetrated by male intimate partners IPV
(CDC 2011, WHO, 2005)
Definition of IPV: any behavior within an
intimate relationship that causes physical,
sexual or psychological harm, including
acts of physical aggression, sexual
coercion, psychological abuse and
controlling behaviors by both current and
former spouses and partners (Heise & Garcia-
Moreno2002; Jewkes, Sen & Garcia-Moreno, 2002).
 A study of 10 countries revealed 15%
(Japan) -71% (Ethiopia) had experienced IPV
(WHO 2005)

25% of women and 7.6% of men in the US

had experienced IPV in their lifetime, (CDC,
2011, Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000).
 Poor reporting and documentation
Several small studies reported a prevalence
ranging from 45-79%
64.4% of women in Lagos and 56.6% in Oyo
had been beaten by husband or boyfriend
Project alert (2001)
South East, Nigeria, 70% of respondents
reported abuse (92% female and 8% male)
(Obi & Ozumba, 2007)
 Use of drugs or alcohol,
Seeing or being a victim of violence as a child

Not having a job (anger and frustration)

financial constraints (CDC, 2006)

In patriarchal cultures a woman can be abused for:

failing to give husband due respect,
being stubborn or abusive
failing to perform her duties as a wife
sex related issues including infidelity
(Obi & Ozumba, 2007; Ogunjuyibe, Akinlo, &Egibola J
2005)
 56% of Indian women justified wife-beating
on grounds like bad cook, disrespectful to
in-laws, producing more girls (Basu
&Pratishthan, 2002)
64.4% of ever married and 50.4% of
unmarried women justified wife beating
(Oyediran & Isugo 2005),
 As at 2000, section 55 of the Penal Code of
the Nigerian Constitution allows a man to
beat his wife as long as he does not cause
grievous hurt.
Grievous hurt according to section 241 of
the Penal Code includes emasculation,
permanent loss of sight, ability to hear or
speak, facial disfigurement, deprivation of
any member or joint, bone fracture or tooth
dislocation (Pereira,n.d)
 In patriarchal cultures a woman can be
abused for:
failing to give husband due respect,
being stubborn or abusive
failing to perform her duties as a wife
sex related issues including infidelity
(Obi & Ozumba, 2007; Ogunjuyibe, Akinlo,
&Egibola J 2005)
 Saps womens energy, compromises
their physical and mental health, and
erodes their self-esteem.
Injury, chronic pain, physical
disability, drug and alcohol abuse,
depression and suicide
Sexual abuse increases risk of
unintended pregnancy, STIs and
miscarriages
 The cost of medical care, mental health
services, and lost productivity associated with
IPV include:

$8.3 billion in USA (CDC 2011).

22.9 billion in England and Wales (Walby,

2004).
 IPV is the leading cause of premature
death and burden of disease.
14% of all homicides in the U.S in
2007 were by IP
Led to 2,340 deaths
70% were females (CDC 2011).
Some of them Nigerian Nurses
 There were 23 documents consisting of
articles narrative stories and message forums
that were reviewed.
From the 23 documents, 15 cases of Nigerian
women murdered by their husbands in the
United States were identified.
Of the 15 cases 12 of them were nurses.
It is also interesting to note that majority of
the cases are people of Igbo descent
Husband/Age Wife/Age Date Children Murder Location Nursing here Sentence
Weapon or Nigeria
Johnny Isatu August 10, 2 children: Hammer, Euless, Tx Unknown 50 years in
Omorogieva, Omorogieva, 2005 boy: 8 bludgeoned to prison
45 35 girl: 7 death
Ebenezer Monireti September 7, Boy: 13 Gun, shot to Grand Prairie, Unknown
Akeredolu, 48 Akeredolu, 46 2005 death in broad Tx
daylight
Rosaline Still Alive 6 children Knife had Atlanta, GA Unknown
Benjamin Unachukwu, March 8, severe cuts
Unachukwu 34 2006
John Onwuka, Gloria August 19, Children were Stabbing by Hampton, VA Married in
49 Onwuka, 42 2006 present knife Nigeria:
obtained RN
in America
Kelechi Chidiebere January 1, 3 Children Kitchen Knife Burtonsvillie, Married in
Charles Ochulo, 36 2007 2 boys: 8 & 4 MD Nigeria. Won
Emeruwa, 41 1 girl: 6 DV lottery ,
RN in US
.
Theophilus Melvina March 25, Hammer, Texas Unknown Life in prison
Ojukwu, 46 Ojukwu 2007 bludgeoned without parole
while asleep
Husband/Age Wife/Age Date Children Murder Location Nursing here Sentence
Weapon or Nigeria
Anonymous Anonymous, Still Alive Still Alive but Dallas, Tx Obtained RN
RN **report Afraid US
written in
2008
Anonymous Anonymous, **Report Shooting Tennessee Married, Death Row
RN written in brought to Awaiting
2008 US. Obtained Electric Chair
RN in US
Michael Anthonia July 24, 2008 2 children Gun Hennepin,
Collins Eberechi 28 boy: 4 girl: 3 Minnesota
Iheme, 50
Anonymous **Report Hand Gun- Los Angeles Unknown 1st degree
Written in then dragged Ca murder with
August 2008 on back of death penalty
pick-up truck
Maximillian Uchenna Survived but Atlanta GA. Unknown
Ezimora Ezimora hospitalized
In 2010
Yet to be Bludgeoning
Anonymous Anonymous authenticated by hammer Tulsa, OK Obtained RN
while sleeping licensure here
 The cases described ranged from women who
were beaten and maimed to women who were
killed by gun shots or bludgeoning by
hammer.
One of the most horrific cases was reported
in 2008 where a Nigerian man savagely killed
his RN wife by tying his wife to the back of
his pick up truck and dragging her until her
head splattered behind leaving its contents
on the road.
 Nurses have a rigorous schedule. Help is
needed in the home
Long hours at work can produce a lack of
trust. Husbands may suspect infidelity.
Nurses are losing their identity as they arrive
to the United States.
 Nurses are being blamed for their
extravagant spending.
With their increased earning power, they have
little to no regard for their husbands input
about financial control.
By not obeying their husbands, they are
bringing the violence onto themselves.
Nigerian Nurses, and other women coming
from Nigeria are being corrupted by the
Women Friendly legal system of the US.
 Men in the past years that shot their wives
because they were not man enough to take
care of their obligations. (anonymous male).
Men have a harder time adjusting to cultural
change than women and women are
insensitive to that.
Husbands are depressed with no outlet or
communication.
Many factors were blamed for the violence:
Greed (on both the men and the women),
poor financial management
male ego
frustration
laziness
wide age difference
 Nigerian-American men go to Nigeria to marry a
nurse as a money maker.
Nigerian nurses marry Nigerian American men as
tickets/ passports to a higher income and better
quality of life.
Nurses over-work/neglect their families to make more
money.
Couples living above their means e.g. bigger house,
car, jewelry, parties, competition with others.
Decisions about how money is spent is a source of
conflict. The women were blamed for rebelling against
this expectation and sometimes flaunting their
superior contribution to their peril.
Clash of Feminism and Patriarchy is perhaps the
most blamed contributor to the violence.
Nigerian men retained their patriarchal cultural values
that treat women as submissive possessions while the
women acculturate to feminist western values, they assert
their rights, knowing they are protected by the American
legal system.

This in addition to the US legal system was blamed for

emasculating the mens ego and driving them to such
vengeful homicide. The men were blamed for losing
emotional control.
Other contributive factors:
wide age difference between couples
suspicion of infidelity
professional stress of the nurses
poor mental health
Family Life Affected
Children, families, nurses and the Nigerian
community are impacted by these savageries.
 Pre/post immigration acculturation training
Cultural sensitivity
Divorce
Violence prevention outreaches to the
Nigerian community
Mental health and marital counseling.
Compromise between husband and wife.
It is hoped that these suggestions are
adopted and research is conducted to explore
the extent of domestic violence in the
Nigerian community and cultural sensitive
ways to prevent it and protect victims are
explored and implemented.
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