Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is expected to appear before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on Tuesday, following a formal court summons.
Her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), confirmed the scheduled appearance in a statement on Sunday, June 1. He emphasized that Akpoti-Uduaghan would comply fully with the court’s directives, although it remains unclear whether the Federal Government intends to proceed with her formal arraignment.
The criminal charges, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, accuse the senator of making defamatory statements during a televised interview and a private phone conversation.
According to court documents (Case No. CR/297/25), filed on May 16, 2025, the charges stem from comments Akpoti-Uduaghan made during an April 3 appearance on Politics Today on Channels TV. In the broadcast, she allegedly claimed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello conspired to assassinate her.
“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 sheet quotes her as saying.
The Federal Government also alleges that during a private phone call on March 27, 2025, with one Dr. Sandra Duru, Akpoti-Uduaghan made further defamatory claims. In that conversation, she allegedly linked Akpabio to an organ-harvesting plot involving the late Iniubong Umoren, suggesting it was for the benefit of his ailing wife.
Senate President Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, and four others are listed as key witnesses in the case.
In a phone interview, Idahosa reaffirmed the legal team’s preparedness to defend Akpoti-Uduaghan, stressing their focus on legal procedure rather than public protests.
“If the case is called tomorrow, we’ll be there to respond. We are not focused on protests—that’s the role of civil society. As lawyers, our duty is to contest the charges in court,” he said.
He added, “Our client is a law-abiding citizen and will appear in court as required. Only those who disregard the rule of law fail to honor court orders—she is not among them.”
Commenting on the possibility of arraignment, Idahosa stated, “We’re unsure. We’ve received a notice of amended charges, but we don’t know the government’s exact intentions. They’ve already amended the charges once—whether they do so again is up to them.”