Metro

Ex-Naval Chief Drags Diezeni To Court, Wants Ex-minister To Stop Using His Name

Published

1 year ago

July 2, 2024

Retired Rear Admiral Alison Madueke has urged the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere to stop his ex-wife and former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke from using his surname.

In a petition for jactitation of marriage (declaration that a marital union has ended), the ex-Chief of Naval Staff prayed the court to order Diezani to revert to her maiden surname of Agama.

He contended that her continued use of his names amid corruption allegations was harmful to him and could implicate him or result in mistaken liability, especially considering they were no longer legally married.

Rear Admiral Madueke, a former military governor of Anambra and Imo states, said he got married to Diezani on June 30, 1999 under the Marriage Act.

He said his wife started gaining recognition in social and political circles by virtue of the marriage, which produced one child.

According to the petitioner, the respondent started using the name “Alison Madueke” when she became a minister under the Jonathan Administration between 2010 and 2015.

Rear Admiral Madueke, in the petition filed through her lawyers Chidi Ilogu (SAN), Dr Nasiru Tijani and Adedamola Kikiowo, stated that his cohabitation with Diezani ceased in May 2015 when she left her position as minister and relocated to the United Kingdom, adding that they have lived apart since then.

The petitioner stated that Diezani sued for dissolution of marriage in November 2021 at the High Court of Nassarawa State sitting in Mararaba Gurku, citing irretrievable breakdown of the union.

He said he did not contest the suit, following which the court ended the marriage.

Rear Admiral Madueke told the court that Diezani has continued to use his name despite the marriage ending.

He stated: “On April 13, 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.

“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.”

The petitioner stated that he instructed his lawyers to write Diezani to stop using his names and to revert to her pre-marital name (Agama), which they did on December 14, 2023, but she has neither responded nor ceased using the names.

“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 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.

“Given the ongoing public allegations and trials concerning the respondent’s alleged misconduct, this association with the petitioner’s name could lead to mistaken liability or even implicate the petitioner in these legal issues.

“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.”

Rear Admiral 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 conducts the existence of marriage between them.

The petitioner prayed for an order directing the respondent to adopt and revert to her pre-marital surname (Agama) and to publish in a national newspaper in both Nigeria and the UK that she has stopped using Alison Madueke.

Related Topics:Diezani Diezani Alison-Madueke

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Metro

Edo Final-year Student Dies In Sign-out Motorcade Crash

Published

2 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.

It was learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.

Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.

The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.

“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”

Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.

The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.

NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.

“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.

“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, NAN reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.

“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.

“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” NAN quoted Mathew as saying.

Metro

One Dies In Oyo Fire, Two Rescued

Published

2 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

One person lost her life in a fire incident at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground, Iwo Road, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

He said the fire resulted from a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials.

Akinwande added that the firefighting operation was successfully carried out with the support of officers of the Federal Fire Service.

“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.

“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.

“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.

“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.

In a related development, a fire incident on Tuesday engulfed the Agric Business Development Agency at Total Garden in Ibadan.

A statement by the State Fire Service Chairman, Akinwande, said the agency received a telephone call through Mr Akinyinka reporting that fire had ravaged the place.

“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.

“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.

“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.

“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.

The chairman, therefore, advised the public to always use correct cables and other electrical materials for their installations.

Metro

Three Die, Several Injured In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Crash

Published

4 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A fatal crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday claimed three lives and left several others seriously injured, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has said.

LASTMA, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, said the accident occurred near the Secretariat, heading towards the Otedola Bridge.

According to the agency, three vehicles were involved in the collision.

“Three vehicles were involved in the collision, resulting in three fatalities and several serious injuries.

“LASAMBUS [Lagos State Ambulance Service] personnel are on the scene, providing medical attention to the injured victims,” it stated.

Emergency responders from LASAMBUS were on the scene administering medical care to the injured victims, while LASTMA officers and personnel of the Nigerian Police Force were also present, managing traffic and maintaining order.

Efforts, according to LASTMA, are underway to clear the crash site and restore normal traffic flow.

Motorists were advised to exercise caution when approaching the area.