Sen Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan escapes arrest

Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Monday narrowly avoided arrest after a Federal High Court in Abuja declined a request by the Federal Government to issue a bench warrant against her.

The move came during a court session where the government sought to arraign the embattled senator over alleged defamation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

The prosecution had urged the court to order her arrest, claiming that charges had already been served on her legal team. However, the defence argued that the senator had not been properly notified of the charges. According to her counsel, the charge sheet was only received that morning in court and the senator herself had no prior knowledge of the case or any expectation to appear for arraignment.

Presiding judge, Justice Musa Umar, pressed the prosecution to confirm if the charges had been personally served on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, and when it was clear that no such service had occurred, he ruled that a bench warrant would be premature. The judge stressed the importance of due process, stating that proper service must precede any move to arrest a defendant.

Consequently, Justice Umar directed that the charges be officially served through the senator’s lawyer and adjourned the matter till June 30 for formal arraignment.

The case originated from comments allegedly made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan during a live television interview on April 3, where she reportedly accused Senate President Akpabio and former Governor Bello of involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate her. The Federal Government has since filed defamation charges, leading to the current legal tussle.