Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, was on Wednesday arraigned at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on charges of criminal defamation.
The embattled lawmaker, currently on suspension from Senate duties, arrived at the courtroom by 10:30 a.m. for the 11:00 a.m. session. The case, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the Federal Government, has been marked CR/297/25.
The prosecution accuses Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making defamatory statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello during a live broadcast of Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
Serious Allegations
According to the charge sheet, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged a conspiracy to assassinate her, purportedly plotted by Akpabio and Bello. She reportedly stated on air:
“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.”
She also claimed that Akpabio had met with Yahaya Bello to discuss the alleged plot. The government alleges these statements were made with the intent to damage the reputations of the two men.
Organ Harvesting Accusation
In a separate count, the Senator is accused of falsely implicating Senate President Akpabio in the controversial death of Iniubong Umoren, a young job seeker murdered in 2021.
During a private phone conversation with one Sandra C. Duru on March 27, 2025, which was reportedly recorded, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly said:
“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…”
The government maintains that these remarks, whether public or private, were knowingly false and calculated to cause reputational harm.
Witnesses and Legal Outlook
Among the prosecution’s listed witnesses are Senate President Akpabio, former Governor Yahaya Bello, and four other individuals. The arraignment marks the start of what is expected to be a politically sensitive and high-profile legal battle.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has yet to make a formal public statement following her court appearance. The court is expected to set dates for pre-trial motions and hearings in the coming weeks.
