Diezani’s ex-husband wants court to stop her from using his name

A former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Alison Madueke, has asked a Lagos State High Court to stop the former petroleum minister, Diezani, from using his last name and to revert to her maiden name Agama. In the petition that declared that their marriage has ended, Mr Alison argues that Diezani’s ongoing use of his name despite their marriage being legally over is damaging to his reputation. He submitted that her actions could lead to unintended consequences, including mistaken liability, particularly given the corruption allegations against her. According to him, 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. He stated, “On the 13th day of April 2022, judgment was delivered in Suit No. NSD/MG345/2021 by Hon. Justice A.A. Ozegya dissolves 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 revealed that he directed his legal representatives to serve Diezani a formal request on December 14, 2023, demanding that she cease using his surname and revert to her maiden name, Agama However, despite this legal notice, Diezani has failed to respond and continues to use his name. The petition further read, “The respondent has continued to hold out herself as the wife of the petitioner even when the marriage has been dissolved. “The respondent is undergoing criminal trials in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The charge in Nigeria is Suit No. FUC/ABI/CR/208/2010. “The respondent faces public allegations of corruption and financial misconduct, for which trials are ongoing for both. “The persistent portrayal of the respondent as the spouse of the petitioner is creating embarrassment, a misleading impression, and tarnishing the reputation, integrity, and public image of the petitioner. “The respondent’s continued use of the petitioner’s first and surname falsely suggests to the public a continuing relationship between the parties though same has since legally ended. “The respondent’s continued use of the petitioner’s first and family names poses a significant risk of legal and financial harm to the petitioner. “The petitioner seeks the intervention of this Honourable Court to prevent the respondent from further using his first name and surname, thereby safeguarding his image, personality, and reputation.” Madueke sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Diezani from further using his names following the dissolution of their marriage. He also prayed for a perpetual injunction restraining the respondent from further asserting, by words or conduct, the existence of marriage between them. He is seeking a court order that compels Diezani to revert to her maiden name and to publicly announce in a national newspaper, both in Nigeria and the UK, that she has ceased using his surname.

Ex-husband losses joint property ownership to Nigeria’s former envoy to Argentina

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, Monday, dismissed an appeal by Jude Chidiebere, a former husband to Nigeria’s envoy to Argentina, Chikerenwa Cordelia Anyatonwu over joint ownership of a property in Abuja. In a unanimous judgment delivered by the lead judge, Justice Okon Abang, the appellate court, dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit. At the federal capital territory high court, Chidiebere had sued his former wife, Chikerenwa Cordelia Anyatonwu, Nigeria’s former envoy to Argentina, claiming that a property at Kubwa, in Abuja jointly belong to their matrimonial family. He prayed the court to issue an order compelling his former wife to compute the amount generated as rent from the house since 2013 and share the same with him. However, the high court Judge, Justice A.A Kutigi dismissed the claim of the joint ownership of the property by the plaintiff. The high court held that the former husband to the Ex-envoy didn’t lead any credible evidence to establish his assertion that the property jointly belongs to him and his former wife. Not satisfied with the decision of the high court, Chidiebere approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, praying that the judgment of the high court be voided and set aside on the ground of miscarriage of justice. However, in the Court of Appeal Judgmentent Justice, Okon Abang held that the appellant failed to convince the appellate court that there is injustice in the judgment of the lower court. Among others, Justice Abang said that the allocation paper and the certificate of occupancy issued by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) bear only the name of Chikerenwa Cordelia Anyatonwu. Justice Abang also held that all receipts for payments for the property to the FCDA were issued in the name of the former envoy. The appellate court held that the appellant did not establish any source of income to be able to buy a property other than been a driver, driving the former envoy around in Argentina and that the court cannot speculate for him. Justice Abang upheld the claim of the former envoy that she divorced her former husband due to irreconcilable differences occasioned by beating while they were together. The Court of Appeal disagreed with the claim of the appellant that he was responsible for letting out the property to a tenant adding that, mere letting out the property to a tenant was not sufficient to confer joint ownership on the appellant. “In my opinion, the first respondent in this matter, Chikerenwa Cordelia Anyatonwu, made a better case for her sole ownership of the property, block 145, Flat 1, in Kubwa, Abuja. There is no where the appellant made a better case for joint ownership, as he claims in this matter. “In all, this appeal lacks merit and is hereby accordingly dismissed. The judgment of the FCT High Court delivered on December 11, 2019 , in favour of the first respondent’s soul ownership of the property, is hereby affirmed, “the Justice Abang held.