Poverty poor. Three months after assuming his

Poverty is a social problem that leads to other social, economic and political disturbances. Poverty is a global phenomenon but it is more common among developing countries, Nigeria inclusive. Nigeria is the Africa’s most populous country. As contended by Mukhtar, Mukhtar ; Mukhtar (2015: 3), apart from being oil rich, “the country also has large landmark and a lot of mineral resources which if used wisely, the country will achieve rapid political and socio-economic development”. But the reverse is the case in the country because large scale corruption, poor economic policies and bad governance have rendered majority of the country’s population poor. Three months after assuming his office, the Nigerian Vice President, Osinbajo (in the Vanguard, August 20th 2015), expressed concern that over 110 million Nigerians lived below poverty line. The consequences of poverty are many and notable among the effects of poverty is domestic violence.
Umeora, Dimejesi, Ejikeme and Egwuatu (2009) undertook a study on “pattern and determinants of domestic violence among prenatal clinic attendees in a referral centre, South-east Nigeria”. The study assessed the prevalence, pattern and background factors precipitating domestic violence in a population of prenatal clinic attendees. This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Booked antenatal women were recruited into the study after informed consent. Trained research assistants administered the questionnaires in the local dialects of the women. Analysis was by the Epi Info Statistical Software package version 3.2.2 of 2005. A total of 500 women were involved in the study that spanned 3 months. Of these, 68 were exposed to gender-based violence. Verbal abuse/insult was the commonest form of male engendered violence. Others were sexual abuse, financial deprivation, threats and physical harm. Financial (poverty) and domestic issues were the major sources of disagreements. Some 17.6% sustained physical injury, while all admitted to some degree of psychological trauma. Routine assessment in a non-judgemental way of antenatal population for gender-based violence was advocated in the study.
Low income as a result of poverty in the family often ‘triggers’ violence – due to monetary problems, for example, when a wife requests money for family upkeep and the husband is unable to fulfil these responsibilities (Fawole ,2005). In line with this, Peter (2013) studied “socio-economic and cultural processes associated with domestic violence in rural Nigeria: a study of Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State”. The study was based on cross-sectional survey design. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques were used. In depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with married women from four rural villages in Uzo-Uwani Local government of Enugu state, Nigeria.