A former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Alison Madueke, has asked the Lagos State High Court to end his marriage to former minister of petroleum, Diezani and to ensure that she stops using his last name.
He filed a petition seeking a legal declaration to dissolve his marriage to Diezani and to order her to revert to her maiden name, Agama.
This was contained in Madueke’s petition for jactitation of marriage (declaration that a marital union has ended).
He told the court that Diezani’s continuous use of his name despite their marriage being legally over is damaging to his reputation and could lead to unintended consequences, including mistaken liability, particularly given the corruption allegations against her.
The petitioner, Madueke, noted that Diezani had previously filed for divorce at the Nassarawa State High Court in Mararaba Gurku in November 2021, citing an irreconcilable breakdown of their marriage, seeking to end their union formally.
He said he did not oppose the suit, resulting in the court’s dissolution of the marriage, yet Diezani persists in using his surname, despite the formal termination of their marital union.
The former Naval chief stated; “On the 13th day of April 2022, judgment was delivered in Suit No. NSD/MG345/2021 by Hon. Justice A.A. Ozegya dissolving the marriage between the petitioner and the respondent on the ground that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.
“The said dissolution of marriage has now become absolute by the operation of law. Even though the marriage has been dissolved and is now legally finalised, the respondent continues to use the petitioner’s first name (Alison) and surname (Madueke) as her own without any justification or consent from the petitioner.
“It is now more than two-years that the respondent continues to use the name of the petitioner to his embarrassment.”
Madueke sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Diezani from further using his name in formal or informal capacity.
