An Ebute Magistrates Court in Lagos on Tuesday compelled a trader, Lookman Elegbede, 43, to write an undertaking that he would desist from battering his wife or face imprisonment.
The magistrate, Tubosun Abolarinwa, compelled the trader to make the undertaking before striking out a charge of assault brought against him.
He scolded Elegbede for inflicting injury on his 34-year-old wife, Modirat, and warned that he would convict him any other time he assaulted her.
"Your wife lives under the same roof with you, yet you cannot amicably settle your differences. Why are you begging me now? Is it not nemesis that makes you to apologise? Before it came to this level, you should have settled it. If I go ahead to strike out the case, that will not be enough. You are going to write an undertaking that you will desist from beating this young woman; otherwise I will lock you up.
"If you are no more interested in the marriage, then take her to a customary court and divorce her rather than inflicting injuries on her. I am striking out the case because of the two children in the family," Mr Abolarinwa said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Elegbede was arraigned on a three-count charge of assault, threat to life and failing to provide basic necessities for his family.
He, however, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him in Yoruba. He had claimed that he did not understand the charge when it was read to him in English by a court registrar.
The prosecutor, Corporal Emmanuel Ajayi, submitted that Elegbede wrote an undertaking in April at the Denton Police Station, Ebute Metta, to desist from beating Modirat, but he violated it.
Mr Ajayi said that the police would have charged him to court earlier but for pleas by family members.
"On May 12, the accused was arrested again after beating his wife to a state of coma; blood was rushing out of the lady's nose and mouth; this time, the police could not take it anymore.
"The accused inflicted a cut on the lady's face. Family members have attempted to settle the matter on several occasions but the accused refused, threatening to kill his wife," Ajayi said.
He said the assault occurred at No. 34B, Coast St., Ebute Metta-East.
The prosecutor, however, did not object to the striking out of the charge as prayed for by the defence counsel, Mr Akinyemi Gboromiro.
Gboromiro told the court that the families of the couple had decided to settle the matter out-of-court.
"I will personally make sure that the accused honours the undertaking and desists from beating his wife," he said.
The case was struck out after Elegbede's undertaking was submitted to the court by his counsel.
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