•Natasha and Akpabio
The federal government has instituted a suit against the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over alleged defamatory remarks made on live television.
The suit filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on May 16, 2025, has Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant, reports Channels TV.
The government accused the senator of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person”, citing Section 391 of the penal code, CAP 89, laws of the federation, 1990. The offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
The list of witnesses shows that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, will testify during the trial.
One of the charges is linked to the allegations Akpoti-Uduaghan, wherein she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to assassinate her.
FG accused the Senator of having, in the TV interview, made an imputation concerning Senator Akpabio, saying that, “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me.
“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 emphasised that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.
“What is important to me is to stay alive, because dead men tell no tales, who is going to get justice for me?” a statement FG said, the Senator knew or had reason to believe that such imputations would harm the reputation of the Senate President.
In count two, Akpoti-Uduaghan was accused of “Making an imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person, contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under Section 392 of the same Law.
“That you, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on or about the 3rd day of April 2025, during the same Politics Today programme on Channels Television in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, made the following imputation concerning Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State.
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me. When he met with him, he then emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.
“You knew or had reason to believe that such imputations would harm the reputation of Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Governor of Kogi State”, the charge added.
She was also accused of having, on or about March 27, 2025, during a two-way telephone conversation with one Sandra C. Duru in Abuja, made the following imputation concerning Senator Akpabio, to wit:
“That girl that was killed, what’s her name, umm Imoren Iniubong, her organs were actually used for the wife, because the wife was really ill… when they killed the girl, and her organs were used for the wife.
“You knew or had reason to believe that such imputation would harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio”, the federal government alleged in the charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for her arraignment.
