A mother of six, Tabitha Iliya, on Thursday asked an Upper Customary Court sitting at Daura Road, Kaduna, to dissolve her marriage to Iliya Yaran, citing lack of love, neglect, and domestic abuse.
Tabitha told the court that her husband had failed to provide for the family, forcing her to seek help elsewhere.
She admitted to having an affair with another man who assisted her financially, particularly with her daughter’s medical bills.
She further revealed that since the incident, she stopped being intimate with her husband, who, according to her, only returned home once every three months due to the nature of his job.
The petitioner also alleged verbal and physical abuse, claiming she moved out of their matrimonial home more than a year ago.
Narrating one of their confrontations, she said she once accompanied a friend to a bar, where her husband saw her and accused her of prostitution, even calling their son to witness the scene.
Tabitha said she left his house three days later after repeated insults and demands that she move out.
She also alleged that her husband threatened her life and attempted to harm her through diabolical means.
During cross-examination, the presiding judge, Patience Musa, asked if she was HIV positive, to which she responded affirmatively, adding that she contracted it “from God.” She insisted she no longer loved her husband and wanted peace of mind.
The case was adjourned until September 29 for the defence hearing.
However, shortly after adjournment, Yaran threatened his wife in open court, saying she remained his wife and warning that she would “have herself to blame” if found with another man.
The judge quickly cautioned him, noting that the threat had been recorded and that he would be held accountable if anything happened to her.