Trust is one virtue that seems to be diminishing at a dangerous spate in many families and relationships in Nigeria these days. Our metropolitan cities are churning out couples who live with each under one roof but with less than 50% of the required trust that should exists between married people.
On Wednesday, a 33-year old housewife broke down in tears at the Apapa Magistrate Court as she was sent to prison because she could not produce her husband to face the criminal charges preferred against him in the court.
The woman, Mercy Nwachukwu, stood surety for her husband, Peter, in a criminal case in the court.
She signed the bail bond and assured the court that she will ensure that her husband attends the court until the matter is settled.
Unknown to Mercy, her husband knew that he had a bad case and would end up in jail at the end of the trial. As a result, he quietly parked his belongings and abandoned his wife in Lagos.
He has since relocated to an unknown location. He was even said to have boldly called her on phone to tell her that he has left Lagos because his case in court could land him in prison after trial.
According to Mercy, he told her to sort herself out with the complainant and the court, if she still wants to live in Lagos.
He switched his phone off and had not communicated with his family since then.
After about eight adjournment and her husband still failed to show up in court, Mercy was arrested and charged to court under Section 104 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges and the presiding Magistrate, Mrs O. I. Adelaja, granted her bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum. But because she failed to meet her bail condition, Mercy was remanded in the custody of the Kirikiri prison in Lagos.
