Justice Chizoba Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, has struck out the defamation suit filed by the Federal Government against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Ms. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following the prosecution’s decision to discontinue the case.

The trial judge struck out the suit after the prosecuting counsel, Ms. Aderonke Imana, applied to withdraw the charges on behalf of the Federal Government.

Following the application for discontinuance, counsel to the defendant, Mr. West Idahosa, urged the court to formally strike out the matter. He also requested the release of all documents belonging to Ms. Akpoti-Uduaghan and her sureties.

The prosecution did not oppose the defence application.

In a brief ruling, Justice Orji struck out the suit, discharged the sureties, and ordered that all documents submitted by them be returned.

The Federal Government had, in May 2025, instituted the criminal defamation suit against the senator over alleged defamatory remarks made during a live television interview. The case, filed on May 16, 2025, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, listed Ms. Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant.

The government accused the senator of “making an imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person,” contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, an offence punishable under Section 392 of the same law.

One of the charges stemmed from allegations by Ms. Akpoti-Uduaghan that the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello, were plotting to assassinate her.

According to the charge, the senator had, during the television interview, made imputations concerning Senator Akpabio, stating: “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 Federal Government contended that Ms. Akpoti-Uduaghan knew, or had reason to believe, that such statements would harm the reputation of the Senate President.