By OBSERVERS TIMES
The Nigerian government has taken a significant step in the criminal defamation case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, announcing its intent to call Senate President Godswill Akpabio, former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, and four other individuals as key witnesses. The high-profile case, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, stems from Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s televised allegations that Akpabio and Bello plotted her assassination.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is listed as the complainant, accusing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of criminal defamation under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, an offense punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
Court documents obtained by SaharaReporters indicate that the charges are directly linked to an interview granted by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” program on April 3, 2025. During the live broadcast, she openly accused Akpabio and Bello of conspiring to assassinate her. She further alleged that the Senate President orchestrated the withdrawal of her security detail to expose her to danger.
“I do stand by what I said. In respect to the meeting or discussion Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me,” Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan stated during the interview.
The government’s witness list comprises six individuals expected to provide testimony supporting the charges:
- Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio: Listed as a nominal complainant, the Senate President is expected to testify regarding his knowledge of the case. His address is provided as No. 13 TY Danjuma Street, Asokoro.
- Yahaya Adoza Bello: Also named as a nominal complainant, the former Kogi State Governor is similarly expected to testify. His address is No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4.
- Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo: Alleged by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to have driven Bello to the Hilton Hotel for the alleged plot meeting, Senator Asuquo is listed as a witness with an address at the Senate Building, National Assembly Complex.
- Dr. Sandra C. Duru: A US-based individual, Dr. Duru is expected to testify on her knowledge of the matter. Her address is 1 Chrisholm Trail Road, Suite 450, Round Rock, Texas, 78681.
- ACP Maya Iliya: An investigating officer from the IGP Monitoring Unit, who will testify about their role in the investigation.
- SP Abdulhafiz Garba: Also an investigating officer from the IGP Monitoring Unit, who will testify about their role in the investigation.
Prior to the televised interview that prompted these charges, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had made similar claims at a political rally in Kogi State. During that rally, she alleged that powerful figures in Abuja were plotting her assassination through local proxies.
“The Senate President first reached out to Governor Ododo to recall me. But Ododo declined, saying the people love me too much. So he turned to Yahaya Bello,” she claimed at the rally. “Akpabio was not satisfied. He then called for Yahaya Bello. It was Senator Asuquo who drove Yahaya Bello to the Hilton. I was informed. The meeting was in two folds. He told him to commence my recall. He was going to fund it. Of course, money changed hands that day. The second thing was that he should kill me.”
According to the Senator, Akpabio’s alleged instructions were highly specific: “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello to kill me. He told him not to do it in Abuja. It should be done here [in Kogi], so it would seem like the people killed me. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the police about it.”
The commencement of this trial is highly anticipated, given the prominence of the individuals involved and the gravity of the allegations.
