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Senator Natasha Battles FG in Court Over Alleged False Claims Against Akpabio, Secures Bail Amid Ongoing Suspension Dispute

In Abuja, the Federal High Court granted bail to the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following her arraignment on a three-count charge by the Federal Government. The charges stem from her public allegation that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello orchestrated an assassination plot against her. The government maintained that her statements were false, defamatory, and intended to damage reputations, a claim made during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on April 3.

Despite the government’s request to have her remanded in prison throughout the trial, Justice Chizoba Orji refused the application, noting that the defendant had shown readiness to appear in court and face the allegations. The judge, citing sections 36 of the 1999 Constitution and sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, ruled that bail was appropriate. As part of the bail conditions, the court required Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to post a N50 million bond and provide a reliable surety who owns landed property in Abuja. The case was adjourned to September 23 for trial.

The charge sheet, marked CR/297/25, accuses Akpoti-Uduaghan of knowingly making damaging claims against public figures, an act that allegedly violates Section 391 of the Penal Code and is punishable under Section 392. Among those expected to testify in the case are Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, two police investigators—Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba—Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Sandra Duru.

This legal drama unfolds against the backdrop of her six-month suspension from the Senate, which she is currently challenging in court. Her suspension followed a heated confrontation with Senate President Akpabio on February 20, during which she contested changes to her seating arrangement and defied Senate rulings. Subsequently, she claimed during a February 28 TV interview that her difficulties began after she rejected alleged inappropriate advances from Akpabio. In response, she filed an ex-parte motion seeking to void any disciplinary action taken by the Senate committee during the pendency of her suit. The Federal High Court has scheduled June 27 to rule on the legality of her suspension.

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