Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello have been listed as key witnesses in the ongoing defamation case filed by the Federal Government against suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The case is currently before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja. The lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, is the sole defendant in the suit filed on May 16, 2025.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is facing allegations of making defamatory statements against Akpabio and Bello during a live television interview. According to the charges, she accused both men of conspiring to assassinate her — a claim the Federal Government says was made with knowledge of the potential harm to their reputations.
Specifically, the government charged her under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, which deals with defamation. The offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same statute.
One of the statements attributed to the senator reads:
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me. Let’s ask the Senate President, why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks? He then emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.”
Prosecutors argue that the senator knew, or had reason to believe, the comments would damage the reputation of the individuals mentioned.
The case has drawn significant attention, not only because of the high-profile names involved but also due to the political context. Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6 over what was termed “gross misconduct,” following a seating arrangement dispute involving Senate President Akpabio.
The trial is expected to shed more light on the events leading to the senator’s suspension and the allegations she raised. Both Akpabio and Bello are expected to appear in court as prosecution witnesses in the coming days.
