Alison Madueke, a former chief of naval staff, has filed a petition before the Lagos state high court, seeking to stop Diezani, former minister of petroleum, from using his last name.

Madueke, a former military governor of Anambra and Imo states, married Diezani under the Marriage Act on June 30, 1999.

However, in Madueke’s petition for jactitation of marriage, he claimed Diezani had filed for divorce at the Nasarawa State High Court in Mararaba Gurku in November 2021, citing the “irreconcilable breakdown” of their marriage.

He said since May 2015, he has lived apart from the respondent after she travelled to the UK.

Madueke said he did not object to the divorce, which led to the marriage being formally dissolved by the court on April 13, 2022. However, Diezani continues to go by his last name.

“The said dissolution of marriage has now become absolute by the operation of law,” the petition reads.

“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 said 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 Agama, her maiden name.

He said the former minister failed to respond to the legal notice and continues to use his name.

“The respondent has continued to hold out herself as the wife of the petitioner even when the marriage has been dissolved,” the petition reads.

“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.”

DIEZANI ON TRIAL AT HOME AND ABROAD

In October 2023, Diezani appeared at the Westminster Magistrates Court in the UK over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

Michael Snow, the district judge, granted her bail in the sum of £70,000.

Snow however imposed other conditions on Alison-Madueke after deeming her “a flight risk”.

In October 2015, Diezani and four other persons were arrested in the UK over alleged bribery and money laundering.

A magistrate court in the UK granted Alison-Madueke bail but her passport was seized. She was asked to report at the Charing Cross police station afterwards.

Diezani was minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

She left the country in 2015 shortly before Jonathan handed over power to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the former minister stole $2.5 billion from federal coffers as minister.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control has sealed about 100 shops in Ogbete Main Market, Enugu, Enugu State for alleged dealing in suspected fake alcoholic beverages.

The agency also confiscated a truckload of adulterated products as well as arrested four traders.

Speaking after the raid and arrest, NAFDAC’s Director South-East Zone, Mr Martins Iluyomade, said on Monday that the suspects were already in custody and would be charged to court after ongoing investigation.

He noted that the raid was in furtherance to NAFDAC’s mandate to safeguarding the health of the nation and riding the South-East of unwholesome, substandard, fake and adulterated products.

“We stormed the popular Ogbete Main Market, Enugu in Enugu State since Friday and have shut down 100 shops which have been identified for selling fake alcoholic beverages.

“Arrest were made and the suspects are currently in custody.

“This fake wine and alcoholic beverages are being sold to unsuspected customers and the general public but we are determined to rid the market of these unwholesome products, ” he said.

The NAFDAC Zonal boss said the intensive operation was with active collaboration with the Police, Department of State Services and the Nigerian Army which deployed their personnel for the purpose of the well-coordinated raid.

A federal high court in Lagos has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for declaring Margaret, wife of Godwin Emefiele, wanted.

Ruling on Margaret’s fundamental rights suit on Friday, Deinde Dipeolu, presiding judge, ordered the EFCC to pay her N3 million as damages for the infringement of her rights.

In February, EFCC declared Margaret wanted for alleged money laundering.

The anti-graft agency published photos and details of Margaret and three others on its website and social media pages.

The three other persons were identified as Eric Ocheme Odoh, Anita Joy Omoile, and Jonathan Omoile.

In the notice signed by Dele Oyewale, the agency’s head of media and publicity, EFCC said the quartet allegedly colluded with the former CBN governor to divert “huge sums” from federal government coffers.

Aggrieved, Margaret sued the anti-graft agency and its chairman for declaring her a wanted person and publishing her photograph on its website without any valid court order.

She also prayed the court to order the EFCC to remove her name and photograph from the wanted persons’ list and to apologise to her for the alleged rights infringement in two national television stations and three newspapers.

In his judgment, Dipeolu agreed that it was illegal for the EFCC to have published Margaret’s name and photograph as a wanted person without complying with the provisions of Sections 41 and 42 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and without any valid charge and/or a court order to that effect.

“That the Applicant is entitled to the protection of her fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, right to dignity of her person, freedom of movement and right to security as guaranteed under Sections 33, 34, 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” the judge ruled.

“And Articles 4, 5, 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A9) VOL.1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2011.

“That the publication of the Applicant’s name and photograph on the website of the Respondent as having been declared “WANTED” without complying with the provisions of Sections 41 and 42 of the ACJA, and without any valid Charge and/or Court Order to that effect, amounts to a violation of the Applicant’s fundamental rights to the dignity of her person, right to personal liberty, freedom of movement and right to security.

“As guaranteed under Sections 34, 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Articles 5, 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A9) VOL.1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2011.

“The respondent is directed to immediately withdraw the publication of the applicant’s name and photographs from the list of persons wanted by the respondents on its website.

“The respondents are directed to issue a public apology to the applicant on its website where the name and photographs of the applicant were published among the list of persons wanted.

“The sum of N3 million is awarded against the respondents jointly and severally in favour of the applicant for the violation of her fundamental rights.”