Ex-Husband Takes Legal Action to Stop diezani from Using His Name and Surname

A former Rear Admiral, Alison Amaechina Madueke, has approached the High Court of Lagos, seeking an injunction to restrain his ex-wife, Diezani Alison-Madueke, from using his name and surname after their marriage was dissolved.

Madueke, through his lawyers, Messrs Foundation Chambers, is asking the court to issue an order directing Diezani to adopt and publish a notice in newspapers of national circulation in Nigeria and the United Kingdom announcing her discontinuation of the use of his first name and surname.

According to court documents, Madueke and Diezani were married for several years before she filed for dissolution of the marriage in 2021, citing irretrievable breakdown. The court granted the dissolution in April 2022. Despite the legal separation, Diezani has continued to use Madueke’s name and surname without his consent.

The petition alleges that Diezani’s continued use of Madueke’s name poses a significant risk of legal and financial harm to him, particularly since she is facing criminal trials in Nigeria and the UK. Madueke claims that her continued association with him is causing embarrassment, creating a misleading impression, and tarnishing his reputation and public image.

Madueke has previously written to Diezani requesting her to cease using his name and surname, but she has refused to comply. He is seeking an order restraining her from doing so, as well as directing her to revert to her pre-marital surname.

The matter is ongoing in the High Court of Lagos, with Madueke seeking a permanent injunction to protect his interests and reputation.