Pow! Pow! Pow! These were the sounds that probably came from Mercy Aigbes house on some cold nights.

Neighbours might have heard her screams  and her little boy must have thought that what daddy was doing to mummy was normal.

ALSO READ: Timeline of actress' marriage troubles

Whoever heard those whimpers of a vulnerable woman crying and running in danger probably kept to themselves and the few who intercepted got a blow or two too.

Let's tell ourselves the truth domestic violence is not just on the rise but seen as norm in some neighbourhoods.

It has always been prominent and probably will still be for a bit but thanks to social media and women rights activist groups women in these kind of relationships are finally speaking up.

ALSO READ: Actress suffered from domestic violence for over 4 years

Domestic violence is the intimidation, physical assault, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior by one partner to another. It is used to exert power and control over a partner.

The frequency and severity of domestic violence varies but constant thing about domestic violence cases is the consistency by a partner to maintain control on his/her better half.

ALSO READ: Actress breaks silence on domestic violence in her marriage

When photos of Mercy Aigbe's battered face started circulating online, the sceptical were quick to say they were photos from a movie scene, a marketing ploy to make Aigbe's next movie 'blow'.

The truth is that she looked too battered for it to be a cheap stunt. How she survived over these years is beyond me. According to her, she suffered a fractured skull amongst other things.

Thankfully, the Lagos state government is responsive to cases of domestic and sexual violence. The Lagos State Women Affairs Ministry has to intervene in the matter.

Lanre Gentry who is on the other side of this scandal has said that his wife is promiscuous and she put him through a lot in their seven years of marriage. He later claimed that she has mental issues in a recent interview.

If even you are living with a mad woman, that doesn't give you the right as a man to beat her.

Apparently, Mercy has been fighting her own demons for over four years but like a typical Nigerian woman, she tried to weather the storm.

You see, a Nigerian woman's success is often times determined by how she maintains and keeps her home. If your husband beats you it's almost normal.

Keep your mouth shut and don't do anything to make him mad again. If you report your husband to even your mother, the first question she asks is "ki lo she? (what did you do?".)

Aigbe has probably had enough and after that last showdown that almost left her dead, she sure isn't going back.

It's fine if you want to heal Mercy... Please take your time and focus on your movies.

Meanwhile, Banky blessed us with good news on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, so we can at least smile this week.