Suzanne Emma, the former wife of renowned Nollywood actor Emeka Ike, has broken her silence in response to his denial of her previous claims of domestic violence. In a candid interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Emma stood firm, reaffirming her 17-year-long ordeal of enduring abuse during her marriage to the actor.
One harrowing incident Emma recounted during the interview took place at a hospital while their child was gravely ill. She revealed how, in the midst of negotiating with the hospital for the medical treatment of their ailing child, Ike launched into a tirade of verbal abuse, and ultimately resorted to physical violence. The emotional toll of the distressing situation was exacerbated as Emma found herself on the receiving end of Ike’s wrath at a time when her primary concern was her sick child. She disclosed, “There was a time we went to the hospital; my child was sick. We didn’t have money. And I was trying to negotiate with the hospital to treat the child, and we would pay later. It was taking a little bit of time, and he [Emeka Ike] just came in and started yelling at me, ‘You’re a fool. You don’t know how to do things. What’s all this? You can’t even talk to them. Who are they? They’re beneath you, and you’re allowing them to do this and all that.’ And I got upset and said, ‘Sir, why are you being a jerk?’ And I went off into the car to sit down. Immediately he [Emeka Ike] was coming into the car; his punch was the first thing that I was seeing on my jaw.”
This revelation comes in the wake of a significant development in their legal marital ties. In 2017, a Lagos Island Customary Court dissolved the marriage between the couple, citing persistent battery as the grounds for the dissolution. Emma had taken the decisive step of petitioning the court on July 13, 2015, seeking an end to her 14-year union with the Nollywood luminary.
The gravity of Emma’s allegations sheds light on the pervasive issue of domestic abuse, transcending geographical boundaries and cultural contexts. It is a solemn reminder of the urgent need to foster an environment where victims are empowered to speak out and seek justice, while perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.
In a world where the specter of domestic abuse continues to cast a dark shadow, Suzanne Emma’s courage in sharing her traumatic experiences serves as a poignant call to action. It is imperative that her words resound across the globe, igniting conversations that inspire solidarity and meaningful change in the fight against domestic violence.
