Mrs. Tabitha Iliya Yaran, a mother of six, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, pleaded with an Upper Customary Court sitting at Daura Road, Kaduna, to dissolve her marriage to Iliya Yaran.
This was as she admitted having an affair with another man who she said assisted her financially, particularly with her daughter’s medical bills.
Tabitha cited lack of love, neglect, and domestic abuse as her reason for calling her marriage quit with Iliya Yaran, stressed that since the incident, she stopped being intimate with her husband, who only comes home once every three months due to the nature of his job.
She further told the court that her estranged husband had failed to provide for the family, thus forcing her to seek help elsewhere.
Tabitha also alleged verbal and physical abuse, saying that she moved out of their matrimonial home more than a year ago.
According to her, she once accompanied her friend to a bar, and when her husband saw her, he accused her of prostitution, and even called their son to witness the scene.
Tabitha said she had to leave the house three days later following repeated insults and demands that she move out, stressing that her estranged 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, saying that she contracted it from God.
Tabitha said that she no longer loved her husband and needed peace of mind.
The case was adjourned until September 29 for the defence hearing.
However, shortly after adjournment, Iliya Yaran threatened Tabitha in the open court that she remains his wife and warned that she would “have herself to blame” if found with another man.
At that point, the presiding judge cautioned Yaran, stressing that the threat had been recorded and he would be held responsible should anything happen to her.
