Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has been granted bail to the tune of ₦50 million by the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, following a dramatic courtroom session on Thursday, June 19, 2025. The embattled lawmaker, representing Kogi Central, is facing a three-count defamation charge bordering on televised and recorded allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello.
Justice Chizoba Orji ruled that the defendant must present one surety of credible standing who resides in the FCT and owns a landed property within Abuja Municipal Area Council. The decision followed heated arguments between defence counsel Professor Roland Otaru (SAN) and the Federal Government’s lawyer, David Kaswe, who pushed for her remand over flight risk concerns.
The charges stem from a controversial appearance by Akpoti-Uduaghan on Politics Today, a Channels TV programme aired on April 3, where she claimed that her security was withdrawn on Akpabio’s orders and that she was allegedly marked for assassination in a plot involving Yahaya Bello. The prosecution also cited a separate conversation dated March 27, 2025, in which she allegedly linked Akpabio to the tragic death of Iniubong Umoren, asserting the deceased’s organs were harvested to aid the Senate President’s ailing wife.
Despite pleading not guilty to all allegations, the Senator’s trial has triggered political tremors and public interest, with many questioning the motivations behind the case. Her arraignment had earlier been stalled by the national judiciary strike, before finally proceeding on Thursday under tight security.
During proceedings, the defence reminded the court of her constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. “You represent the Ministry of Justice, not Injustice,” Professor Otaru jabbed, citing that the charge is not capital in nature and urging the judge to consider her high-profile status and track record.
The Federal Government’s legal team, however, maintained that the statements made were gravely damaging and were intended to injure the reputation of the complainants. The court has now set the stage for what may become one of Nigeria’s most high-profile political defamation trials in recent history.
As the legal drama unfolds, observers await the full list of witnesses including Senate President Akpabio and Yahaya Bello, while security around the proceedings has been reportedly beefed up to deter protests from the senator’s supporters.
