A video going around on X (also known as Twitter) shows a crying woman. She says her husband beat her with a belt just weeks after she had a C-section — a surgery where doctors cut open the belly to deliver a baby. She says her surgery wound had not healed yet. In the video, she shows a big scar on her stomach and says the beating caused it. The video was posted by an account with the handle @ChuksEricE.
A quick, honest note before we go further: We do not know this woman’s name. We do not know exactly when or where this happened. We do not know if she has reported it to the police. Because of this, this article treats her story as a claim, not as a proven fact. We are writing about what she said and why it matters — not saying for certain that every detail happened exactly as shown.
This Has Happened Before: Similar Cases in Nigeria
This is not the first time a story like this has come from Nigeria.
In 2023, a woman said she had just given birth to twins by C-section when her husband beat her — not for the first time. She said the same thing happened during her eighth month of pregnancy. She was living in Asaba, Delta State, when she asked a human rights activist for help.
In Ogun State, a video showed a woman named Rukayat begging her husband to stop as he punched and kicked her. Police later said the fight started over a property dispute. Her husband was arrested.
In Akwa Ibom State, a lawyer was filmed beating his wife while neighbours rushed to save her. One neighbour said in the video that the beatings had been going on for years. The Nigerian Bar Association ordered an investigation into the lawyer.
The pattern is clear: many of these cases only get attention after a video goes viral — not before.
Why This Keeps Happening, and Who It Hurts
Why it happens: Women are scared to report abuse. Many Nigerian women do not tell police when their husband hurts them. Some are scared. Some depend on the husband for money. Some are told by family to stay quiet and “manage” the marriage.
Why it happens: Weak law enforcement. Nigeria has a law against domestic violence called the VAPP Act (Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act). But not every state has adopted it, and even where it exists, police do not always act fast.
Effect on the woman’s health. A C-section wound can take weeks to fully heal. Being beaten during this time can reopen the wound, cause infection, and lead to long-term health problems — on top of the normal stress of caring for a new baby.
Effect on children. When children see their mother being beaten, it can affect them emotionally for years, even if they are not the ones being hit.
Effect on Nigeria as a country. Stories like this shape how the world sees Nigeria. Every time a case like this goes viral without a clear police response, it adds to the idea — at home and abroad — that Nigeria is slow to protect women. This can affect how safe Nigerian women feel reporting abuse, and it adds pressure on a justice system that many citizens already do not trust. It also means the country keeps relying on social media “exposure,” instead of strong police and court systems, to get justice for victims.
What Can Be Done
Police should act faster when domestic violence videos go viral, instead of waiting for public pressure.
More states should adopt the VAPP Act, so women in every part of Nigeria have the same legal protection.
New mothers need support, like health workers who check on them after birth and can notice signs of abuse.
Women need safe ways to report abuse without fear that their husband or family will punish them for speaking out.
People should be careful sharing videos like this. Awareness is good, but sharing unverified claims as if they are proven fact can also cause harm.
Our Thoughts
A woman who just had surgery should be getting care, not being beaten. Even though we don’t know this woman’s name or her full story, the pattern she describes is one we have heard too many times in Nigeria — and that should worry all of us. Still, I believe we should be careful. Our job is not to treat every viral video as proven truth. It is to ask the right questions — who is she, is she safe now, has anyone reported this — and let facts, not outrage, guide the story.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
