Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to appear in court for defamation trial

The suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is slated to appear in court on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, as summoned by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), confirmed her anticipated presence on Sunday, although he expressed doubts about the Federal Government’s immediate intention to formally arraign her on that day.

Regardless of the prosecution’s plans, Idahosa emphasized that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan would adhere to the court’s directives, reaffirming her commitment as a law-abiding citizen.

The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed criminal charges against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on May 16, 2025.

The charges, marked CR/297/25 at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, allege that she made defamatory statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

According to the charge sheet, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making a statement during a live appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on April 3, 2025. During the broadcast, she allegedly claimed that Akpabio and Bello had discussed plans to assassinate her.

The charge quotes her as stating: “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.”

Furthermore, the suspended senator is also accused of making defamatory remarks during a private telephone conversation on March 27, 2025.

In this conversation with a woman identified as Dr. Sandra Duru, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly claimed that Senate President Akpabio was involved in organ harvesting, purportedly linked to the late Iniubong Umoren and for the alleged benefit of his ailing wife.

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Both Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Governor Yahaya Bello, alongside four other individuals, have been listed as key witnesses for the prosecution in the upcoming trial.

In a phone interview with reporters, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lead counsel, West Idahosa, reiterated his legal team’s preparedness to mount a robust defense in court. “If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly with our client,” Idahosa stated.

He distanced his team from any potential protests, clarifying, “The issue of protest is irrelevant to us — we are lawyers, and our focus is on defending charges we believe can be contested. Protests are the domain of civil societies and others in that terrain.”

Idahosa further affirmed his client’s stance: “Our client is a law-abiding citizen. Why wouldn’t she be there? It’s a summons we have undertaken. Only disrespectful institutions that disregard court orders would fail to appear, and she is not in that category.”

When pressed on the likelihood of an immediate arraignment, Idahosa noted the unpredictability of the prosecution’s strategy. “We don’t know. We saw a notice of amended charges. We don’t know what they are trying to do. They’ve amended the charges once and could do so again—it’s their decision.”