A Customary Court sitting in Rumuogba, Rivers State, has ruled that Mrs. Kate Ngbor must immediately stop using her ex-husband’s surname, 11 years after their divorce.
The decision followed a legal suit, **OCC/9/2021**, filed by Chief Sam Ngbor, who sought a court order to prevent his former wife from continuing to bear his name.
After hearing arguments from both sides — E. O. Erhirhi representing the claimant and R. U. Egwenre for the defendant — the court ruled in favor of Chief Ngbor.
The court declared that Mrs. Ngbor no longer had the right to use the name “Ngbor” or “Sam-Ngbor” without the express permission of her ex-husband.
The judgment, originally delivered on June 9, 2014, officially stripped her of the surname, ordering her to revert to her maiden name or any other name of her choice — except her former husband’s.
Furthermore, the court issued a restraining order, barring her from presenting herself as “Mrs. Kate Ngbor” or “Mrs. Kate Sam-Ngbor” in any form.
The ruling marks a rare instance of the court intervening in post-divorce identity disputes, emphasizing the legal boundaries surrounding the use of an ex-spouse’s name.