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Popular Nigerian wedding photographer David Martins is facing allegations of domestic abuse after his wife, Alicia Daniella, publicly accused him of physically, verbally and psychologically abusing her throughout their three-year marriage. Daniella, a Venezuelan Trinidadian model, shared her account on her Instagram story on Sunday, August 16, drawing attention to what happened in a marriage that had largely been presented to the public as a picture-perfect portrayal of love, faith, and family.
According to her account, the abuse was not an isolated incident; she described years of mistreatment and alleged that the situation became particularly frightening on May 7, 2026, when Martins attacked her while she was holding their three-month-old son.
“And this is the most painful part of all: while my son was always in my hand, I was attacked. A child who should have known nothing but the safety of his mother’s arm was instead in proximity to violence against her.”
She said the assault left her with a busted lip and nearly knocked out one of her teeth. She also shared photographs and other material which she said documented parts of what she had experienced. Daniella said she remained silent for years partly because she did not want to damage Martin’s reputation, which had been built around photographing weddings and presenting carefully composed images of couples, romance and family celebrations.
Martins describes himself as an editorial wedding photographer based between Lagos and London. His professional website describes his work as capturing love stories and preserving the emotion and connection of a couple’s wedding day. Daniella’s account presents a very different contrast within their own marriage.
She alleged that Martins also used his public image of wealth and success to conceal the reality of their home. In one of the claims, she said she had received only ₦350,000 from him within a year, despite the luxury lifestyle portrayed online. She further alleged that she had previously left the marriage but returned in the hope of making it work. According to her, Martins later portrayed her return to family and friends as though she had come back to beg him.
“Even after leaving, I was afraid of what’s to come. How my abuser views me, how he’ll continue lying and disgracing me to his parents, what life will look like for Noah without his parents together. I was scared, and I thought maybe I should go back; maybe it could be fixed. I was dehumanised to the point that when conflict arose, I was apologising and blaming myself. He then took that and ran with it, showing families and friends that I was begging and apologising. When really I was manipulated and psychologically abused.”
The allegations have also drawn attention because Daniella says people around the couple were aware of what was happening. Neighbours and others who say they knew the couple have since spoken publicly, with some claiming they had intervened in incidents involving the couple. One of the most disturbing parts of Daniella’s account is the alleged involvement of their infant child. She said Martins attacked her while she was carrying the baby. He also reportedly asked a 14-year-old for nudes while she was pregnant.
The allegations have now moved beyond social media. Daniella says she reported the matter to the Lagos State Police Gender Unit and also contacted the United States and Canadian embassies. She said she has photographs and videos relating to the abuse.
The story has since drawn reactions from several women in the Nigerian entertainment space. Former beauty queen and reality television personality, Beauty Tukura, publicly condemned Martins and called on people to stop patronising his photography business after seeing Daniella’s allegations. She posted on her Instagram story.
“You are a very foolish goat. A stupid human being through and through.”
She also urged her followers to mass-report and unfollow Martin’s social media accounts, effectively calling for his digital deplatforming.
For many women, the difficulty of speaking about abuse is not simply the fear of the person hurting them. It can also mean confronting the reputation that person has built around them and even being believed in the first place. A man can be admired professionally, trusted by clients, praised for his faith, and celebrated for helping others preserve their happiest memories, while the woman living with him may be carrying a completely different story.
As of the latest reports, Martins has not publicly responded to these allegations.
