The Federal Government has filed a criminal case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of making damaging allegations during a live television interview.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the Senate, is being prosecuted as the sole defendant in a suit brought before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on May 16, 2025.
At the heart of the case are statements the senator made during a Channels Television programme, where she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to kill her.
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me,” Akpoti-Uduaghan had claimed on air.
“Let’s ask the Senate President, why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks.
“He then emphasised that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi. What is important to me is to stay alive, because dead men tell no tales, who is going to get justice for me?”
The Federal Government contends that she made these remarks knowing they could seriously damage the reputations of the individuals involved.
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Consequently, the prosecution cited Section 391 of the Penal Code, which deals with harmful imputations, noting that a conviction under this section is punishable under Section 392.
Another count in the suit accuses the senator of making similarly grave allegations against Bello.
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me. When he met with him, he then emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi,” she had said.
In a third allegation, Akpoti-Uduaghan is said to have made disturbing claims during a phone call with a woman named Sandra C. Duru on March 27, 2025.
“That girl that was killed, what’s her name, umm Imoren Iniubong, her organs were actually used for the wife, because the wife was really ill… when they killed the girl, and her organs were used for the wife,” she reportedly said about Senator Akpabio.
The Federal Government insists that Akpoti-Uduaghan either knew or should have known that her remarks would harm Akpabio’s reputation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar. Among those expected to testify are Akpabio and Bello.
The court has not fixed a date for her arraignment.