The Federal Government has taken legal action against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, for allegedly making defamatory statements during a live television broadcast.
The case, with suit number CR/297/25, was officially filed on May 16, 2025, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to court documents, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is being charged under Section 391 of the Penal Code for making remarks that could damage the reputation of another individual. If found guilty, the offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same code.
Among the witnesses expected to testify are Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. Both are named as the main complainants in the suit. Also listed as witnesses are Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, public figure Sandra Duru, and two police investigators—Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba.
The case stems from an interview Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan gave on Channels Television’s program “Politics Today” on April 3, 2025. During the broadcast, she made several claims which the government now says were intended to harm reputations.
This legal move comes months after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6, 2025. Her suspension followed a public disagreement with Senate President Akpabio concerning seating arrangements. She has since argued that the decision was both unfair and politically motivated, saying it was “a move to silence her.”
In the weeks following her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed multiple petitions accusing the Senate President of misconduct and even of orchestrating threats to her life. In April, Akpabio wrote to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting an investigation into the senator’s statements. He accused her of making false claims meant to stir public unrest.
Similarly, Yahaya Bello also submitted a petition to the IGP, denying Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegation that he funded a campaign to recall her from the Senate. The senator had claimed that Bello was acting on Akpabio’s directive and was behind a plan to have her killed in a staged local mob attack outside Abuja.
