FG files criminal defamation charges against Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed criminal charges against suspended Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of making defamatory remarks by alleging an assassination plot against her involving top political figures.

The charges, filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), were brought before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The suit, marked CR/297/25, was instituted on May 16, 2025, with Akpoti-Uduaghan listed as the sole defendant.

This legal action follows the senator’s comments made during a live television interview on April 3, 2025. The federal government claims that Akpoti-Uduaghan knowingly made imputations capable of damaging the reputation of others, an offence under Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, punishable under Section 392.

According to the charge sheet, the senator is specifically accused of defaming Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. In the broadcast, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that both men were involved in plotting her assassination — a claim the government says amounts to criminal defamation.

This development comes amid heightened tensions between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate leadership, especially Akpabio, whom she had earlier accused of sexual harassment. The Attorney General’s office insists that the senator’s comments were reckless and baseless, aimed at damaging the reputations of those mentioned without credible evidence.

However, Akpoti-Uduaghan has maintained that her allegations were made in the public’s interest and insists the charges against her are politically motivated.

The case is expected to proceed at the FCT High Court in Abuja, though no official date has been fixed for the trial. Legal observers and the political community are closely watching developments in what has become one of the most talked-about political disputes in recent times.