A lecturer at the French Department of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Paschal Bartholomew has reportedly inflicted blindness on the right eye of his estranged wife, Constance Bartholomew.
Forty-Five-year-old Constance told our correspondent in Owerri, Imo State that the lecturer battered her right eye for opposing their six-year-old child, Chimamanda witnessing her husband’s court wedding to another Nigerian woman who lives in Canada.
According to her, her husband has been constantly abusing her after abandoning her and their only child for the other woman.
She therefore called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to ensure she got justice.
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The traumatized woman said that she had reported the matter to the police and her husband arrested and later granted bail.
Constance said; “My name is Constance Bartholomew. I am married to Paschal Bartholomew, a lecturer with Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, French Department.
“We got married in 2010 though we dated for eight years before we got married. Just see. I can’t see anything with my right eye. My husband battered it.
“He got it blind after I opposed his decision to take our child to witness his court wedding with a woman from Canada whom he met on the social media.
“He came to take him after he abandoned the boy and I for his newfound love who came from Canada. My husband is 46 years.
“He dragged me out of the house I built with him. Immediately he met the Nigerian woman who lives in Canada. He first took all my belongings outside and later took them to my father’s house and told my people that he was no longer interested in marrying me. He said he was not satisfied that I bore him just a child.
“In March my husband asked me and my only son to go to my father’s house to find out the reason why I had not conceived after our first child. That he will never love me again. When I left for my shop, he removed my property from the house. My property he took outside were drenched. He later took them to my husband’s house. Our only child will be six years in September.
“He vowed that instead of me to come back to the house he rather set it ablaze. On April 10, 2022, he brought a new wife and introduced her to our only child, Chimamanda. The lady he met on social media. She came from Canada. She is a Nigerian.
“On April 14, he came to my shop and took our only son without my consent and took him to our house which he chased me away from. I later went to the house to know why he took our child without my consent. I told him to leave our son to become an adult before he could take him since he abandoned me and the boy.
“We now started dragging our son. He started beating me and hit my right eye. He threatened to deal with me the more. I begged him to take me to a hospital but he refused. He said that I deserved to be blind.
“I have reported it to the police. He was arrested on April 25 and later granted bail.
“I want him to restore my sight. Give me my property I bought with him. Our property shouldn’t be sold. It should be left for our only child. I want justice. The government should help me.
Also speaking, Constance’s uncle, Fidelis Nwebele, corroborated his niece’s story, saying that Paschal was in the business of maltreating his niece.
He said; “Her husband has maltreated my niece a lot. We have already reported him to his traditional ruler. We are not against him getting a new wife but we want justice for destroying one of her eyes.
“We don’t want the marriage to continue. We want police to stop him from selling the house my sister contributed a lot in its building. It is for their only child”.
Constance’s only brother, Emeni Peter added;” My sister complains to me that he beats her both at home and at the shop. My sister sponsored his education both the first and second degrees. He now saw an abroad woman and said that my sister is an illiterate. We want justice for her. She can no longer see with one of her eyes.
When contacted, Paschal told our correspondent that he didn’t abandon the woman neither their child.
He said; “I didn’t abandon her. She remains my first wife and our son remains my first child and son. I have undertaken the responsibility to take care of the medical expenses. I didn’t do any court wedding with my second wife. It was a traditional wedding”.
