These two actresses—Tonto Dikeh and Mercy Aigbe, who have cried out that they were victims of Domestic Violence meted out to them by their husbands, embarked on a peaceful walk today in Lagos with hundreds of women to protest against violation of women.
The campaign, titled, “Stop The Violence Against Women’, which was organised by the wife of the Ooni of Ife, Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi, had in attendance, actresses and prominent women from all walks of life.
To support the walk was Annie Idibia, wife of Nigerian musician, Innocent Idibia aka Tuface.
Also present were actresses Foluke Daramola-Salako, Sola Shobowale and the Ooni’s wife, Olori Wuraola, who was the convener of the event which held in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Tonto Dikeh, whose marriage to Olakunle Churchill was annulled early this week, had shared a video on the campaign, where she talked about her attempts to make her marriage work but her former husband scuttled every effort.
She said one in three women die in the hands of their boyfriends or intimate partners. One in three women is abused and “I realized it wasn’t my fault. I had to get out. I loved him and wanted it to work but he kept saying sorry.”
For Mercy Aigbe, she had to release a video on her battered face on Thursday on Instagram. This action sparked off a ‘season’ of war between Mercy and her estranged husband, Lanre Gentry. They kept putting up posts that either blamed or cast aspersions on each other. The war ended with a public apology from her husband, who still claimed to love her.
Today, Mercy wrote: “We all must come together to put an end to this inhumane, cancerous, destructive, barbaric act that is destroying homes!…..We should be committed in our fight to see an end to this menace eating deep into our society….. It should not continue to the next generation…
Please stop shaming victims, we have a right to speak out, we have a right to share our experiences because trust me it helps the healing process…..
To everyone woman/man going tru any form of violence in your homes , please summon the courage to say enough is enough! ….. The society might preach otherwise but my darling , ur Life , well being, rest of mind is all that matters!
LIFE has no DUPLICATE
#istandfirmlyagsinstdomesticviolence
#saynodomesticviolence
#saynotoviolenceagainstwomen
#saynotobattery
#saynotoassault
#nomoreshades
#nomoreblackeyes
#togetherwecandoit
#1in3Africa
Violence solves nothing and it isn’t an option!.” (sic)
