Lokoja
The Federal Government has formally charged Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan with criminal defamation over remarks made during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
Filed on May 16 at the Federal Capital Territory High Court and registered as case number CR/297/25, the suit accuses the Kogi Central senator of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.” The charge falls under Section 391 of the Penal Code and is punishable under Section 392.
Court filings list Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello as key witnesses and nominal complainants. Other witnesses include Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Sandra Duru, and two police investigators, Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba.
This legal action follows weeks of escalating tension between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate leadership. On March 6, she was suspended from the Senate for alleged gross misconduct following a dispute with Senate President Akpabio—an action she described as unlawful and politically driven.
In the aftermath, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed multiple petitions against Akpabio, including explosive allegations that he plotted to assassinate her. She also accused Yahaya Bello of masterminding and financing her recall campaign under Akpabio’s directive, claiming plans were in place to stage her killing as a mob attack in Abuja.
Akpabio and Bello responded by petitioning the Inspector-General of Police, demanding her prosecution for defamation, incitement, false allegations, and actions capable of breaching public peace.
The case is now set to play out in court, with high profile testimonies expected to shape the political fallout.
