The wife of a suspended member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Glory Agbor, has dismissed allegations that her husband, Dickson Agbor, physically assaulted her, describing a viral video showing her with injuries as “false” and possibly generated using artificial intelligence.
Mr Agbor represents the Obubra I State Constituency in the southern Nigerian legislature.
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The controversy erupted earlier this week after a disturbing video circulated widely on social media, appearing to show Mrs Agbor with visible facial injuries. In the footage, she was alleged to have been beaten by her husband during a domestic dispute.
The clip triggered widespread outrage online, with many Nigerians condemning the alleged assault and calling for accountability from the lawmaker.
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Amid the backlash, the Cross River State House of Assembly announced an indefinite suspension of Mr Agbor, citing what it described as violent behaviour inconsistent with the ethical expectations of public office.
The viral video
The initial video, which spread rapidly across platforms including X and Facebook, showed a woman believed to be Mrs Agbor appearing distressed and injured, sparking intense debate about domestic violence and the responsibility of public officials.
Domestic violence cases involving politicians often draw significant public attention in Nigeria, where advocacy groups have repeatedly called for stronger enforcement of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and similar state-level legislation.
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Although the authenticity and context of the clip remain contested, its circulation fuelled demands for an investigation into the lawmaker’s conduct.
Wife denies assault
However, in a new video posted online days after the controversy erupted, Mrs Agbor rejected the allegations and insisted that no assault took place.
She described the claims as a “false accusation” and suggested that the footage circulating online could have been manipulated using artificial intelligence technology as part of a political smear campaign.
“I am out here to tell Nigerians and all persons both home and abroad that what has been online for the past four to three days is a false accusation and nothing of such actually happened,” she said.
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“Maybe it is AI, or they want to use that to blackmail my husband and me. You know the election is around the corner, and maybe they want to use that one to bring him down. Nothing of the sort happened to me.”
In the video, she also appeared to challenge claims that she sustained injuries.
“Look at me, I am okay, I am good. Did you see any marks on my face or anything like that? Nothing of such ever happened,” she said.
As of Tuesday, the Cross River State House of Assembly had not announced whether it would review Mr Agbor’s suspension in light of his wife’s latest statement despite the lawmaker’s apology.
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