Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is set to appear in court on Tuesday, following a summons issued over alleged criminal defamation charges filed by the Federal Government.
Her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday. While it remains unclear whether the Federal Government intends to proceed with her formal arraignment that day, Idahosa emphasized that Akpoti-Uduaghan will honour the court summons as a law-abiding citizen.
The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed a criminal complaint accusing the senator of making defamatory remarks against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The charges, marked CR/297/25 and filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court on May 16, 2025, stem from two incidents: a television appearance and a private phone conversation. During an April 3 interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly stated that Akpabio and Bello had plotted her assassination.
Quoting the charge sheet, she allegedly said, “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night — to eliminate me… he then emphasised that I should be killed in Kogi.”
In a separate allegation, she is accused of defaming Akpabio during a March 27 telephone conversation with Dr. Sandra Duru. In the conversation, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly linked Akpabio to organ trafficking involving the late Iniubong Umoren, purportedly for the benefit of Akpabio’s ailing wife.
Akpabio, Bello, and four others have been listed as witnesses for the prosecution.
Speaking to Hobnob News, Idahosa reiterated his team’s readiness to defend the embattled senator: “If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly. Our focus is on defending the charges, not staging protests. Our client respects the law and the judicial process.”
Regarding the possibility of arraignment, Idahosa stated, “We are not sure. We’ve seen an amended notice of charges already, and they might amend again. It’s entirely up to the prosecution.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s courtroom appearance marks another major development in what is shaping up to be a high-profile legal battle with significant political undertones.
