Madueke Wants Court To Stop Diezani From Using His Names

Former Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Alison-Madueke (rtd), has filed a suit in Court in Lagos seeking for a perpetual injunction to restrain his ex-wife and former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, from using his first name (Alison) and surname (Madueke) as part of her names.

Admiral Madueke is particularly praying the Court to grant an order directing the respondent (Diezani) to adopt and revert to her pre-marital surname which was Agama as well as issue publications in newspapers of national circulation in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom of a notice of her discontinuation of the use of his first name and surname.

In the petition filed at the High Court of Lagos with suit no LD/15144HD/2024, Madueke specifically seeking that his ex-wife should desist forthwith from using his name, stressing that it poses a significant risk of legal and financial harm to him since Diezani (respondent) is facing criminal trials in Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK).

In the petition, Madueke said that they stopped living together in May 2015 after her ministerial appointment and in November 2021, citing irretrievable breakdown of their marriage which led Diezani to file a petition for the dissolution of their marriage in Suit No. NSD/MG345/2021, at the High Court of Nasarawa State, Nasarawa Judicial Division, sitting at Mararaba Gurku, adding that April 13, 2022, judgment was delivered by Justice A.A. Ozegya, in which he dissolved the marriage between the two of them on the ground that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.

Admiral Madueke also said in the petition that Diezani faces public allegations of corruption and financial misconduct, for which trials are ongoing for both.

The former Chief of Naval Staff stressed that the persistent portrayal of Diezani as his spouse is causing him embarrassment, misleading impression and tarnishing his reputation, integrity, and public image.

Madueke further said that even though the marriage has been dissolved and now legally finalized, Diezani has continued to use his first name (Alison) and surname (Madueke) as her name more than two years later after the dissolution of their marriage without any justification or consent from him.

He said that the act falsely suggests to the public that there is a continuing relationship between the two of them even when same has since ended legally.

Admiral Madueke said that he has therefore instructed his solicitors to address a letter to the respondent (Diezani), requesting her to cease the ongoing use of his first name and surname.

Accordingly, Messrs Foundation Chambers sent a formal letter, dated 14th December 2023 urging the Diezani (respondent) to revert to her pre-marital name of Diezani Kogbeni Agama following the legal dissolution of the marriage.