“Beat Your Wife, Get Deposed”, Emir Sanusi Warns Traditional Title Holders

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Traditional title holders in Kano Emirate Council who indulge in  the act of wife- beating will be  stripped of their  positions.

This much was made known on Monday, December 9, 2024, by the factional Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi, at the opening ceremony of  this year’s National Dialogue on the role of Islamic Opinion leaders in the prevention of Gender Based Violence GBV in Northern Nigeria held at the Bayero University Kano, BUK.

Emir Sanusi, also, called for an urgent review of section 55 of the Penal code law of Nigeria.

According to him, the section which mandates husbands to adopt corrective measures against erring wives, appears to be abused by not a few .

He noted that such acts of abuse by some husbands have tended to exacerbate incidents of domestic abuse, including wife- battering and other GBV.

Emir Sanusi further stated that the session in question (session 55) of the Penal Code allows a husband to correct his wife if it is within the limits of acceptable and lawful customs, as well as not capable of causing grievous hurt.

But he, however, regretted that about 45 percent of cases across nine Shariah Courts in Kano according to a recent study are all GBV related, underscoring the need for urgent actions to curb the ugly trend.

Flaring all acts of wife beating, he noted that apart from emotional trauma, most of the victims also  suffer serious bodily injuries, such as broken teeth and facial deformation.

While describing husbands who indulge in the despicable act of wife battering as close to the level of animals, Emir Sanusi called for strong legislations against all GBV in the society .

Specifically, he emphasized the urgency of such laws that protect women through the criminalization of all forms of  abuses ,and maltreatment in marriages.

“A husband who beats his wife for any reason is being animalistic in nature. If we get to a point in our society where people are not restrained from beating their wives ,the Government should make it a crime .

“In the 21st Century, if  Northern part of the country still  upholds section 55 of the Penal Code ,which in away permits a husband to beat his wife ,then it should be expunged .

“Nigeria should rather copy family laws from Islamic countries that prohibit such acts.

“When my daughters are getting married ,I mostly tell their husbands: “if you don’t love them anymore ,please send them back to me. Don’t maltreat them.

“My traditional title holders also know that if you beat your, you lose your tittle .At the same time ,we must teach our daughters how to respect their husbands .

“Marriage is built upon love, mercy and mutual respect between husband and wife”, he noted .