Ola Akinwunmi
Suspended Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, appeared at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama on Wednesday morning for her arraignment on criminal defamation charges filed by the Federal Government.
The embattled senator walked into the courtroom at 10:30 a.m., nearly 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled session, with security aides and a handful of supporters accompanying her. She remained composed as she awaited the arrival of the presiding judge.
The charge, marked CR/297/25, was filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the Attorney General. Akpoti-Uduaghan is the sole defendant in the case.
At the center of the prosecution’s case are comments allegedly made by the senator during a live appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on April 3, 2025. In the broadcast, Akpoti-Uduaghan reportedly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting her assassination and orchestrating her political persecution.
According to court documents, she stated:
“Let’s ask the Senate President why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks? He then emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi… Who is going to get justice for me?”
In another segment of the interview, she claimed:
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night, to eliminate me… he then emphasized that I should be killed in Kogi.”
The charge further alleges that Akpoti-Uduaghan implicated Akpabio in a bizarre organ trafficking claim, referencing the 2021 murder of Iniubong Umoren. She reportedly told a third party during a phone call:
“That girl that was killed… her organs were actually used for the wife of Akpabio, because the wife was really ill…”
Prosecutors say the senator acted with knowledge that her claims could damage the reputation of both men and amount to criminal defamation under Nigerian law.
The Senate President, Yahaya Bello, and four additional individuals have been listed as witnesses for the prosecution. Both Akpabio and Bello are also recorded as nominal complainants in the case.
The arraignment is being closely watched by political observers, civil society groups, and legal practitioners, many of whom view the case as a potential litmus test for the boundaries of free speech, accountability, and political power in Nigeria.
Proceedings are expected to begin shortly.