Over 200 police operatives have taken control of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja ahead of the arraignment of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on alleged defamation charges. The heightened security is intended to maintain peace before, during, and after the arraignment scheduled for June 19, 2025.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, faces a three-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the Federal Government. The charges accuse her of making defamatory statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. The allegations stem from claims she made during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025, and a telephone conversation on March 27, 2025, where she accused Bello and Akpabio of conspiring to orchestrate her assassination.
Supporters of former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello and activists backing Natasha, including former Minister of Education Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and human rights advocate Aisha Yesufu, are present at the court. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at the court premises with her husband and legal team around 10:27 am and is expected to take her plea before Justice Chizoba Orji.
The case is marked CR/297/25, with Senate President Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, and four others listed as witnesses. The Federal Government alleges that the senator knowingly made false statements that could harm the reputations of the complainants. The arraignment follows a previous court ruling that rejected the government’s request for a bench warrant over the senator’s earlier absence, citing insufficient service of the charges.
The arraignment is a significant development in the ongoing legal battle involving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, drawing considerable public and media attention.