The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following her arraignment on a fresh six-count charge filed by the Federal Government over alleged false claims of an assassination plot.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, currently serving a six-month suspension from the Senate, was accused of alleging that political opponents were conspiring to assassinate her. The charge, marked CR/297/25, alleged that the Senator defamed Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, claiming the duo participated in a meeting to hatch the alleged plot.
The Federal Government stated that the lawmaker made the claim both during a public address to her supporters in Kogi State and in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
According to the charge, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly stated that Akpabio and Bello agreed she should be assassinated in Kogi under the guise of a mob attack—statements the prosecution said were intended to harm the reputations of both politicians. The Federal Government cited a violation of Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrime Act.
The Senator, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read before Justice Muhammed Umar.
During the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, did not object to her release on bail but requested the court to impose strict conditions to ensure her availability for trial.
READ ALSO:Â Court strikes out Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s defamation suit against Bello
In response, the defence counsel, Prof. Roland Otaru, SAN, urged the court to grant bail on liberal terms, stressing that the Senator was not a flight risk and had been previously granted bail in a similar case by an Abuja High Court. He also highlighted that Akpoti-Uduaghan represents five local government areas and is a senior legal practitioner.
After hearing both sides, Justice Umar granted the defendant bail on self-recognition, noting that the charges are bailable and that the Senator remains a serving member of the National Assembly.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to September 22, 2025, for hearing.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal woes have continued to draw national attention, especially amid heightened political tensions in Kogi State and ongoing debates around freedom of expression and cybercrime laws in Nigeria.