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BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan plead not guilty to defaming Akpabio, Bello as court grant her N50 million bail
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan wey be di lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District for di National Assembly don plead not guilty to di three-count charge of defamation, wey di office of di Attorney General of di Federation sama her. Di lawmaker bin appear bifor Justice Chizoba Orji of di Federal Capital Territory High Court for di Maitama area of Abuja on Thursday. Dis three-count charge accuse Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of making false claims say di President of di Nigeria Senate, Godswill Akpabio, bin make plans wit di former Govnor of Kogi State, Yahyah Bello, to kill her. Di AGF say Akpoti-Uduaghan know say di claims na false but she make am to discredit Akpabio and Bello, and to tarnish dia image. As di matter come up for court, di court registrar read out di charges to di lawmaker and she plead not guilty to each of dem. Afta dat, counsel to di Federal Goment, David Kaswe, ask di court to remand di defendant in prison pending wen di trial go commence. Kaswe claim say im reason be say dem wey be di prosecution bin find am very difficult bifor dem fit serve di defendant wit di charges. However, di defence counsel Roland Otaru, ask di trial judge to use her discretion and grant im client bail based on di fact say she no be flight risk, she no go fit interfere wit police investigation or wit di witnesses for di case, and di law presume her innocent until proven guilty. Afta listening to di arguments, Justice Orji agree wit di defence counsel and say she go grant di defendant bail in di sum of 50 million naira and one surety. Di surety must to get landed property within di jurisdiction of di court, and e must be a pesin of integrity. She den adjourn di matter to September 23, 2025 for di trial to start. Some popular rights activists bin follow Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan come court to show am solidarity. Dem include former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili, Aisha Yesufu and others. Emmanuel Uduaghan, di husband of di embattled lawmaker also follow her come court on Thursday. BBC Pidgin bin don report say dis na di fourth court case wey involve Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan since late March dis year wen she get public quarrel against di Senate President Dis particular three-count charge na majorly about libel, two counts against Akpabio and one count against Yahaya Bello. According to di charges, Akpoti-Uduaghan allege for interview say Akpabio and Yahaya Bello bin meet for a hotel on March 14, 2025, wia dem emphasis say dem go kill her, but e no go be for Abuja rather e go be for her state Kogi. "Dat na one of di reason why I bin no go home on time. I bin delay to go home bicos I get to put some measures on ground," di charge sheet quote Akpoti-Uduaghan. Also, di senator allege, according to di charge sheet, say Akpabio and Yahaya Bello bin hold three discussions day. "Di first one na my recall, di second one na to eliminate me, and di third one na to put somebody wey go take di ticket from me if I wan contest for 2027." According to di AGF, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan know or she get reason to believe say "dis imputations go harm di reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of di 10th senate of di Federal Republic of Nigeria", and di reputation of Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Govnor of Kogi State. Di third allegation for di charge sheet na during a two-way phone interview wey Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly do with one Sandra Duru for Abuja, wia di senator bin claim say Akpabio bin use di internal organs of one girl wey her name na Umoren Iniubong, for im wife who bin dey sick for three years. Akpabio, Bello, and one oda Senator - Asuquo Ekpenyong - na some of di witnesses wey di AGF say dem go call for di matter.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin be di charges goment file against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Di office of di Attorney General of di Federation don sama anoda lawsuit on top Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, di female lawmaker wey dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District for di Nigeria Senate. Dis new lawsuit na sake of allegations wey Mrs Akpoti Uduaghan bin make for one TV interview on April 3, 2025, wia she tok say di Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former guvnor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello, bin dey plan to kpai her. According to di charge sheet wey our tori pesin see, di allegation say Akpoti-Uduaghan bin make comments wey she know or she suppose know say di comments go harm somebody reputation . Di offences dey contrary to section 391 of di penal code laws of di federation and also punishable under section 392 of di same law. Charges against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Di three-count charges na majorly about libel, two counts against Akpabio and one count against Yahaya Bello. According to di charges, Akpoti-Uduaghan allege for di interview say Akpabio and Yahaya Bello bin meet for a hotel on March 14, 2025, wia dem emphasis say dem go kill her, but e no go be for Abuja rather e go be for her state Kogi. "Dat na one of di reason why I bin no go home on time. I bin delay to go home bicos I gatz put some measures on ground," di charge sheet quote Akpoti-Uduaghan. Also, di senator allege, according to di charge sheet, say Akpabio and Yahaya Bello bin hold three discussions day day. "Di first one na my recall, di second one na to eliminate me, and di third one na to put somebody wey go take di ticket from me if I wan contest for 2027." According to di AGF, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan know or she get reason to believe say "dis imputations go harm di reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of di 10th senate of di Federal Republic of Nigeria", and di reputation of Yahaya Adoza Bello, former guvnor of Kogi State. Di third allegation for di charge sheet na during a two-way phone interview wey Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly do with one Sandra Duru for Abuja, wia di senator bin claim say Akpabio bin use di internal organs of one girl wey her name na Umoren Iniubong, for im wife who bin dey sick for three years. Akpabio, Yahaya Bello follow for witnesses Our tori pesin also see a list wey contain a total of six witnesses wey di Nigeria goment say dem go call wen di trial start. Di witnesses list include: Di last two witnesses na officers from di Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit of di Nigeria Police Force, and na dem be di pipo wey investigate di allegation. Wen di matter go start According to di charge sheet, di office of di AGF file di matter on May 15, 2025, but di case neva dey assigned to any judge. So no exact date don dey wen di trial go start. But remember say Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan don already file one case bifor Justice Binta Nyako of di federal high court, sake of her suspension from di senate for six months. Di matter na against di senate president Akpabio, di Nigeria senate, di senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions, and chairman of di committee Neda Imasuen. Justice Nyako don fix June 27, 2025 to deliver judgment for di case. Brief background Dis gbas gbos betwin Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio start for early March dis year afta dem change di sitting arrangement for some lawmakers for di senate chambers. Mrs Akpoti-Uduagha bin vex and para for Uduaghan wen she find out say dem change her own sitting position, and she no dey happy wit di new place wia dem assign to her. But senators bin explain say changing of sitting positions na normal tin wey di senate president get power to do from time to time, and e no need to inform pesin or ask pesin opinion bifor e go reassign di pesin position. Also say, according to di senate standing rule, pesin must to stay for di seat wey dem assign to am bifor di pesin go dey recognised to tok or contribute during plenary. Na dis rules dem allege say Akpoti-Uduaghan bin break, and na why di senate punish her wit six months suspension. However, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan later start to dey accuse Akpabio of sexual harassment, saying na bicos she refuse di advances of di senate president na why im dey persecute her. Akpabio don deny di allegation.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan: Nigerian senator sued by government over assassination claims
The Nigerian government has pressed charges against a senator who accused one of the country's top politicians of plotting to kill April, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, and Yahaya Bello, a former state governor, wanted to "eliminate" her. Both have denied the before, Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused the senate president of sexually harassing her - an allegation he has also government has now filed charges with the High Court, saying Akpoti-Uduaghan's assassination allegation defamed Akpabio and Bello. In the charge sheet, seen by the BBC, Nigeria's attorney general referenced an interview shown by Nigerian broadcaster Channels TV last the interview, Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke of "discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello... to eliminate me".The attorney general said this statement, and others made in the same broadcast, could harm Bello and Akpabio's has not responded publicly to the charges against March, after accusing Akabio of sexual harassment, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the senate for six months without pay. The senate's ethics committee said the suspension was for "unruly and disruptive" behaviour during a debate in the senate, but her supporters argue that it was a result of her allegations against Akabio. More Nigeria stories from the BBC: 'Nigerian Senate is run like a cult', suspended MP tells BBCHow some Nigerian women are being cut out of their parents' inheritanceNigeria's fierce political rivals share joke at pope's inaugural mass Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
