By our Reporter
The Federal Government has formally filed a three-count criminal charge against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for allegedly defaming Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The charges, brought through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, are contained in suit number CR/1277/25 and are pending before Justice C.N. Oji at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Filed by the Department of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the Attorney-General, the suit accuses Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making statements intended to harm reputations, in violation of Section 391 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 392.
The first count focuses on an interview the Senator granted on Channels Television’s political programme Politics Today on April 3, 2025, where she alleged that Senate President Akpabio, in concert with Yahaya Bello, plotted to assassinate her.
During the interview, Akpoti-Uduaghan stated: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night, ehm… to eliminate me.”
She further claimed that the withdrawal of her official security details by the Senate upon her suspension was a deliberate plot to make her “vulnerable to attacks,” suggesting an orchestrated attempt on her life.
The FG argued that these public statements were made with knowledge or reason to believe they would damage Senator Akpabio’s reputation.
The second count is akin to the first, on the alleged imputation against ex-Governor Bello of Kogi State.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan told the same television audience that a plan to assassinate her was not to be carried out in Abuja, but in Kogi State, under Bello’s watch.
In her words: “A week and a few days later when (Akpabio) met with (Bello), he then emphasised that I should be killed… I delayed going home because I had to put some measures on ground.”
She claimed to have reported the threats to the Inspector General of Police and made efforts to inform security operatives.
The prosecution contended that these allegations, made on national television, not only tarnished the character of Bello, but also presented a grave national security concern, especially given the implications of political violence.
In a third charge, the Federal Government alleged that on March 27, 2025, during a telephone conversation with one Sandra C. Duru, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan made a horrifying claim implicating Senate President Akpabio in an alleged killing and organ harvesting.
According to court documents, she stated:“There was this girl that was killed, what’s her name, umm… Iniobong Umoren… her organs were actually used for (Akpabio’s) wife, because the wife was really ill three years ago…”
The said the allegation, referencing a real-life murder case that once shocked the nation, was both a malicious and unsubstantiated attack on Senator Akpabio’s character, capable of inciting public outrage and diminishing public confidence in the leadership of the National Assembly.
The Federal Government averred that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan acted recklessly and with malicious intent, abusing her public platform to spread defamatory and inflammatory statements that have far-reaching consequences for national peace, security, and democratic integrity.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was not in court as she allegedly refused service from bailiffs.
Justice Oji, however, ordered that efforts should not be spared in ensuring that she is served before the next adjourned date.
