Man asks court to dissolve marriage because of wife’s HIV status

A 38-year-old civil servant, Silas Dodo, has prayed an Upper Area Court in Mararraba, Nasarawa State, to dissolve his marriage with his wife because she is HIV-positive.

Dodo, who lives at Masaka, Nasarawa State, told the court on Tuesday that he wanted to divorce his 35-year-old wife, he married in 2007.

He told the court that his wife was found to be HIV-positive following a recent test they had.

Dodo also told the court that he met his wife in 2002 at the Federal University of Technology, Yola, and they married in 2007 in a church.

He said both he and his wife were screened on the church’s directive for HIV before their wedding, and the result indicated they were HIV-negative.

According to him, not too long after their marriage, his sexual relationship with his wife deteriorated as she started denying him of sex.

The complainant said his wife was always falling sick, a condition that compelled him to take her to several health centres for test where she was found to be HIV-positive.

He said when he found that she was HIV-positive he instructed his lawyer to write her and his church.

Dodo told the court his wife later packed out of their matrimonial home in Masaka and went to live on her own at Auta Balaifi.

He tendered the result of the various tests on his wife to buttress his claim.

In her response the woman, who was not represented by a counsel, admitted that the HIV test results tendered by her husband were genuine.

Counsel to the complainant, Mr Elisah Onaji, therefore urged the court to adjourn the case to another date.

The presiding officer, Mr Vincent Gwahemba, adjourned the matter till March 31 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)