A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has granted bail to suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the sum of N50 million. The senator was arraigned on a three-count charge of defamation brought by the Federal Government.
Justice Chizoba Orji, in her ruling, rejected the Federal Government’s application to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the determination of the case. The judge held that there was no reason to deny the defendant bail, noting that there was sufficient evidence of her willingness to face trial.
As part of the bail conditions, the court required the defendant to produce one surety, who must be a person of integrity and the owner of a landed property in Abuja. The court based its decision on section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The lawmaker is being prosecuted for allegedly making a false claim that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, were behind a plot to assassinate her. In the charge marked CR/297/25, the Federal Government alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan made the false and defamatory remarks while appearing as a guest on live television.
The charge further stated that by making such false imputations that tarnished the reputation of others, Akpoti-Uduaghan committed an offence under section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. The alleged offence is punishable under section 392 of the same law.
The senator pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and her lawyer argued that the prosecution’s case was an attempt to muzzle her freedom of speech. The judge adjourned the trial to September 23, 2025, allowing the defendant to prepare her defense.
The court’s decision to grant bail to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has been seen as a significant development in the case, which has attracted widespread attention in the country. The senator’s lawyers have expressed confidence that their client will be vindicated in court, while the prosecution has vowed to pursue the case to its logical conclusion.
