Senator Natasha to Appear in Court Tuesday Over Defamation Charges

Suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is set to appear in court on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in response to a criminal defamation suit filed by the Federal Government.

According to her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), Akpoti-Uduaghan will honour the court summons despite uncertainty about whether formal arraignment will occur at that session.

The charges, filed on May 16, 2025, accuse her of making defamatory statements on a live television program and in a private phone conversation. She allegedly claimed on Channels TV’s “Politics Today” that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello discussed a plan to have her assassinated.

In a separate phone conversation with Dr. Sandra Duru, she allegedly linked Akpabio to organ harvesting involving late jobseeker Iniubong Umoren, supposedly for his wife’s medical needs.

Akpabio, Bello, and four others are listed as witnesses for the prosecution. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team stated they are prepared to contest the charges, arguing the matter belongs in the courtroom, not in street protests.

The defense stressed that she is law-abiding and will appear as directed, while also questioning the prosecution’s intentions, noting that the charges had already been amended once.