The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the Federal Government’s request to issue an arrest warrant against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, over her failure to appear in court for arraignment in an alleged defamation suit. Justice Muhammed Umar, the presiding judge, delivered this ruling on Monday, June 16, 2025, after the federal government’s counsel, David Kaswe, informed the court that the charge had been served on her lawyer earlier that morning in the courtroom.
The defamation suit was filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the Federal Government. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making defamatory statements during a live television broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025. The statements allegedly implicated Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in a plot to assassinate her.
Justice Umar stated that, as the senator had not previously been served with the charge or a hearing notice, it was inconceivable for her to have appeared in court. He refused the prosecution’s application for a bench warrant, citing the need for proper service and notification. The judge also dismissed the prosecution’s argument that serving the charge on her legal counsel was sufficient to presume the senator’s awareness of the arraignment.
Following the court’s ruling, the prosecution applied for substituted service of the charge through her counsel, Johnson Usman. The application was granted, and the court subsequently scheduled her arraignment for June 30, 2025. The Senate President, Yahaya Bello, and four others have been listed as witnesses for the trial.
The Federal Government accuses Akpoti-Uduaghan of knowingly or recklessly making imputations that could harm the reputation of the individuals involved. Some of the alleged statements include:
– Accusing Bello of conspiring with Akpabio to orchestrate her assassination outside Abuja and framing it as a mob or local attack.
– Claiming that Akpabio had withdrawn her security to make her vulnerable to attacks.
– Alleging that Akpabio and Bello discussed eliminating her during a meeting.
The senator is also accused of making defamatory statements about Senate President Akpabio during a telephone conversation with Sandra C. Duru in Abuja on March 27, 2025, regarding the use of a murdered girl’s organs for Akpabio’s wife.
