‘My husband called me HIV carrier in market place’

A 44-year-old woman, Taiwo Rasaq, has accused her husband, Fatai, at an Oshodi Grade ‘B’ Customary Court, Lagos, of calling her a Human Immuno Deficiency Virus carrier.
Taiwo, who is the chairperson of the Oluwaseyi Fruit Market, Ikeja, said her husband came into the centre of the market, held a condom and falsely declared her as an HIV/AIDS carrier.
She said her husband claimed that because of her “HIV status,” he had been making love to her with condoms.
Taiwo said her husband engaged in the smear campaign in a bid to denigrate and bring her into disrepute before her friends.
She said, “In an attempt to bring me into disrepute, Fatai came into the market where I sell fruits with a condom in his hands and falsely declared that I was an HIV/AIDS carrier and that as a result of it, our marriage of 13 years had produced no offspring because he had been using condoms to have sexual intercourse with me.”
Taiwo had approached the court to dissolve the marriage on the grounds that her husband was a dubious and fraudulent man and that he beat her up on the slightest provocation.
She said her 52-year-old husband was planning to sell her landed properties in different parts of Lagos and wanted to take over possession of a block of toilets and bathrooms which she invested over N2m to build at the market for commercial purpose.
Taiwo said, “I approached him to build a block of toilets at the market in Ikeja where I am the head of the market association. After he spent N420,000 on the construction, he told me he could no longer continue with the construction. He told me to finish the project and ceded the ownership to me since I was the one who brought up the idea in the first place.
“But after hoodwinking me into completing the toilets with my over N2m, he wants to take over possession of it. He sent policemen after me and got me arrested. He accused me at the police station that I illegally took over the possession of the toilets.
“I was harassed by gun-wielding policemen for four times on the orders of my husband, when they would not cease to hunt after me I filed for a divorce at this court. I am tired of this marriage I want it dissolved before he kills me.”
But Fatai denied calling his wife a HIV carrier. He however admitted beating her but said he had stopped when some people prevailed on him to stop the act.
He said, “I used to beat her in the past since she would not humble herself. She cares less about my wellbeing and leaves home at will. She stays away from home and will sometimes be away for up to four weeks.
“The last time she travelled, she told me she was going to Gboko in Benue State for her business transactions. She did not return until after four weeks despite the fact that she knew I was ill. I stopped beating her after people appealed to me.
“She only lent me some money to which I have allowed her to recoup over the past months when I left her in charge of the toilets which is meant for commercial purposes. I did not also cede the ownership of the toilets to her.”
The Court President, Mrs. A.I. Olorunnimbe, has adjourned the case to March 14 for judgment.