Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to Appear in Court on Tuesday Over Defamation Charges

Suspended Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, June 3, following a formal summons from the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

Her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), confirmed the development on Sunday, noting that Akpoti-Uduaghan will comply with the court’s directive. However, he expressed uncertainty regarding whether the Federal Government plans to proceed with her formal arraignment.

The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed criminal charges against the senator, accusing her of making defamatory remarks during a live television interview and a private phone call.

According to the charge sheet dated May 16, 2025, and marked CR/297/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting her assassination. The claims were made during an April 3 appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

“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,” the charge quoted her as saying.

In addition, the government alleges that during a phone call on March 27, 2025, with Dr. Sandra Duru, Akpoti-Uduaghan made further damaging claims. She allegedly linked Akpabio to an organ harvesting plot involving the late Iniubong Umoren, purportedly for the benefit of his ailing wife.

Senate President Akpabio, ex-Governor Bello, and four others have been listed as witnesses in the case.

In a phone interview, Idahosa emphasized the legal team’s readiness to defend the senator.

“If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly. Protests are not our focus—we are lawyers, and our job is to contest the charges. That’s for civil society to handle,” he said.

He added, “Our client is a law-abiding citizen. She will appear in court as summoned. Only institutions that disrespect the rule of law fail to honour court orders, and she’s not in that category.”

On the prospect of arraignment, Idahosa said, “We don’t know. We’ve seen a notice of amended charges, but we’re unclear on what the government is planning. They’ve amended the charges once—they might do so again. That’s entirely up to them.”