From Courtroom to Pulpit: How A Judge Is Healing Broken Women

By Munyal Manunyi, Abuja, Nigeria

A Kaduna State Customary Court Judge, Phoebe Mukaddas, has disclosed how cases she handled in the courtroom exposed her to several incidents of domestic abuse, broken homes, abandonment, and gender-based violence, inspiring her to establish a Christian-based ministry known as Lovelife Ministries.

Judge Mukaddas, an indigene of Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, revealed this in an interview with African Culture TV on Monday while marking her 42nd birthday.

According to her, the ministry focuses on addressing rising cases of abuse and how faith-based interventions can complement legal justice.

She warned that many abused women remain silent, while widows and divorcees suffer silently due to the failure of society and institutions to balance justice with compassion.

In her words: “I handle matrimonial matters as a Customary Court Judge. I see battered and shattered women come to court seeking help from abusive partners. Most of them live in fear and anxiety.

“The experiences I have encountered created a strong desire in me to help women by creating awareness and making them understand that they can be helped and do not have to die in toxic marriages or relationships.”

Mukaddas noted that the most common forms of gender-based violence women experience are physical and verbal abuse.

“Some men still believe their wives should be punished with a cane. Some, out of anger, use dangerous objects, thereby causing pain and injury.

“Using abusive words to degrade a woman can make her develop an inferiority complex. So many women carry physical and emotional scars from years of abuse,” she said.

She explained that many women remain in abusive marriages because they are financially dependent on their partners and lack empowerment or a source of income.

She added that others remain because they fear leaving their children behind or worry about societal judgment.

Mukaddas warned that society places enormous pressure on women to remain in abusive marriages.

She said: “Society feels a woman should stay back and build her home. No matter what she is going through, she is often judged and perceived as not being patient enough.

“The government and religious leaders should give a listening ear to women. No woman should be forced to remain in an abusive marriage simply because the abuse is not physical. Even verbal and emotional abuse can destroy lives.

“Religious leaders should stop telling women to go back home and pray or be patient when battered women come to seek help. They should not be condemned when they choose to walk away from abusive marriages. They should be heard with love and compassion.”

The judge pointed out that laws already exist to protect abused women, adding that victims must speak out and seek help.

“There is hope for a tree. Even when it is cut down, it will sprout again. God can heal and restore. He is a God of second chances, and He gives beauty for ashes. There is no battered and shattered life that God cannot heal; that is His specialty. He even uses pain and shame to create something beautiful,” she said.

Mukaddas highlighted that Lovelife Ministries, established two years ago during her 40th birthday celebration, serves as a platform for married and single women with a strong desire to positively impact lives through messages of hope, healing, and restoration.

According to her, the ministry also helps women realise that a new beginning is possible through the love and mercy of God, especially for those who have lost their voices and self-esteem in abusive relationships and marriages.

“A lot has been achieved through the help and mercies of God. We have created awareness on the dangers of violence and why it is important for women experiencing abuse to speak out.

“So many women have been helped. We have reached out to widows with the love of Christ and gifts during our annual Christmas carol outreach. It has been amazing. The first edition of our magazine, which will be launched and unveiled on May 30, 2026, captures all these efforts.

“The love and passion for what I do have greatly he

lped me maintain balance so far,” she added.