Suspended senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents the Kogi Central Senatorial District, is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, following a summons.
This was confirmed by her chief attorney, West Idahosa (SAN), on Sunday. However, Idahosa expressed uncertainty regarding whether the Federal Government would proceed with her arraignment on that day. He emphasized that, as a law-abiding citizen, Akpoti-Uduaghan would adhere to the court’s instructions regardless of the Government’s plans.
The Federal Government, represented by Director of Public Prosecutions Mohammed Abubakar, has brought criminal charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of making defamatory remarks during a live television interview and a private phone call. These remarks allegedly targeted Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The charges, submitted to the Federal Capital Territory High Court on May 16, 2025, and marked CR/297/25, claim that during her appearance on Politics Today on Channels TV on April 3, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Akpabio and Bello plotted to have her killed.
The charges quote her as saying, “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night—to eliminate me… he then emphasised that I should be killed in Kogi.”
Additionally, she is accused of making defamatory comments during a phone call on March 27, 2025, in which she allegedly claimed that Akpabio was involved in organ trafficking related to the late Iniubong Umoren for the sake of his sick wife. Akpabio, Bello, and four others are listed as key witnesses in the case.
Report gathered that, Idahosa reiterated the legal team’s readiness to defend Akpoti-Uduaghan in court. “If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly with our client. Protests are irrelevant to us; our focus is on contesting the charges at hand. Protests belong to civil society, not to us as lawyers,” he stated.
He added, “Our client is a law-abiding citizen. Why wouldn’t she attend? It’s a summons we are obligated to follow. Only institutions that show disrespect for court orders would fail to appear, and she is not among them.” When asked about the likelihood of arraignment, Idahosa remarked, “We can’t say for sure. We noted a notice of amended charges. We are unsure of their intentions—the charges have already been amended once, and they could do so again if they choose.”
