Suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has been arraigned by the Federal Government before a Federal High Court in Abuja on a fresh six-count charge related to an alleged false assassination claim.
The charges stem from her public statements in Kogi State and during an April 3 live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where she allegedly accused top political figures of plotting to assassinate her.
According to the Federal Government, Akpoti-Uduaghan specifically named Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello as participants in a meeting where the alleged plot was discussed. She was said to have claimed that both men agreed to orchestrate her elimination under circumstances that would resemble mob violence.
The prosecution alleged that the lawmaker’s statements were knowingly false and damaging to the reputations of the individuals mentioned, constituting an offence under Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrime Act.
When the charges (marked CR/297/25) were read in court, the senator pleaded not guilty.
The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, informed the court that he had no objection to bail but urged the judge to set terms that would guarantee the defendant’s appearance during trial.
In response, her counsel, Prof. Roland Otaru, SAN, said a bail application had already been filed on June 20. He assured the court that his client posed no flight risk, citing her duties as a serving Senator representing five Local Government Areas and her prior bail granted in a similar case.
Justice Muhammed Umar, after considering submissions from both parties, granted Akpoti-Uduaghan bail on self-recognition. He noted that the offences were bailable and acknowledged her current status as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The matter was adjourned to September 22 for trial.
