The Federal Government has initiated criminal proceedings against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central over alleged defamatory comments made during a televised interview.
Filed on May 16, 2025, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the case (CR/297/25) names Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant. The government alleges that she knowingly made damaging imputations that could harm the reputation of others—an offense under Section 391 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 392.
According to court documents, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello are listed as witnesses and nominal complainants in the case. Other witnesses include Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Sandra Duru, and police investigators Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba.
The charges relate to statements made by the senator during her April 3 appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today. The interview came amid ongoing tensions between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate leadership. She was suspended from the Senate on March 6, accused of gross misconduct following a seating dispute involving Akpabio. Akpoti-Uduaghan has repeatedly claimed that her suspension was politically motivated, denying Senate claims that it was unrelated to her previous allegations of sexual harassment within the chamber.
Following her suspension, she submitted petitions accusing Akpabio of plotting her assassination and alleging that Bello orchestrated a campaign to recall her from the Senate. She claimed the former governor was acting on Akpabio’s orders to arrange her death in a staged mob attack in Abuja.
In reaction, both Akpabio and Bello petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, calling for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s prosecution on charges of criminal defamation, incitement, and false accusations—alleging that her actions posed a threat to public order.
