Akpabio, Bello Named as Witnesses in FG’s Defamation Case Against Senator Natasha
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello are expected to testify as witnesses in the ongoing defamation trial of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, is currently suspended from the Senate and is facing prosecution by the Federal Government at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.
She is alleged to have made defamatory statements against Akpabio and Bello during a live television interview. The case, filed on 16 May, lists Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant.
The Federal Government has charged the senator under Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, which pertains to making imputations with knowledge or reason to believe they would harm another person’s reputation. The offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same code.
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According to the list of witnesses, both Akpabio and Bello will testify during the trial.
One of the charges stems from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claim that the two men had conspired to assassinate her. During the televised interview, she reportedly stated: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night—to eliminate me.
“Let’s ask the Senate President: why, in the first instance, did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks? He then emphasised that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.
“What is important to me is to stay alive, because dead men tell no tales. Who is going to get justice for me?”
The prosecution maintains that the senator knew or had reason to believe that such comments would damage Akpabio’s reputation.
In a second count, Akpoti-Uduaghan is again charged with making harmful imputations, contrary to Section 391 and punishable under Section 392 of the Penal Code.
The senator was suspended from the Senate on 6 March for “gross misconduct” following a dispute with Akpabio over seating arrangements.
