The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the Federal Government’s request to issue an arrest warrant against suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over an alleged defamation case involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Justice Muhammed Umar, who presided over the case on Monday, ruled that the senator could not be arrested as she had not been officially served with a charge sheet or a court hearing notice before the proceedings.
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- The Federal Government’s legal counsel, David Kaswe, had informed the court that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer had been served earlier that morning in court. However, the judge insisted that serving her legal counsel did not equate to proper notification, and therefore, the senator’s absence could not be considered deliberate.
- The judge refused the prosecution’s application for a bench warrant, stating that there was no legal ground for it.
Following this, the prosecution requested substituted service of the charge through Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Johnson Usman, which the court granted. The senator’s arraignment has now been rescheduled for June 30, 2025.
FG Files Criminal Defamation Charge
The charge, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar, accuses Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making defamatory statements during a live TV appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
The Federal Government alleges that the senator made serious accusations, including claims that Yahaya Bello and Senate President Akpabio conspired to assassinate her and make it appear like a mob attack in Kogi State.
One of her reported statements reads:
- “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 further alleged that:
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night, to eliminate me.”
Accusation Involving Organ Harvesting
In a separate allegation cited in the charge, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making another defamatory remark during a phone conversation on March 27, 2025, suggesting that the organs of the late Iniubong Umoren were harvested for the treatment of Akpabio’s wife.
“That girl that was killed… her organs were actually used for the wife, because the wife was really ill…”
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The FG maintains that the senator knew, or ought to have known, that these statements could damage the reputations of the individuals involved.
Trial Witnesses
According to court filings, the Federal Government has listed Senate President Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, and four other witnesses to testify in the case.
Summary
This high-profile case involving defamation, political conspiracy, and controversial allegations has stirred major attention across Nigeria’s political and media landscape. The court’s decision to deny the arrest warrant highlights the importance of proper legal procedure in politically sensitive cases.
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