Nigeria’s government sues Natasha over comment on live broadcast

The federal government in a dramatic turn of events has filed criminal charges against the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over her comments on live television show.

She was said to have made certain criminal allegations during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on April 3, 2025.

During the said interview, she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, of plotting to have her assassinated.

The charge shows the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the complainant in a case filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant.

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

During the interview, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan said: “I am glad you did admit that I am a lawyer, and even if I am not a lawyer, I am a sane individual, and I do stand by what I said. In respect to the meeting or discussion Akpabio had [with] Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me.

“Just ask the Senate President why did he withdraw my security if not to make me vulnerable to attacks. Mind you, of all the senators, about 109, we all have different stories. I have been high profiled, vulnerable individual because of the nature of politics I have had I have experienced since the year 2018. Very violent and dangerous. And I always have my security. So, stripping me of my security because I am suspended illegally, actually it just positions me before attacks.”

But this was not the first time the sSnator raised alarm about threats to her life allegedly linked to influential figures in Nigeria’s political class.

Speaking during a homecoming rally in Kogi State weeks before the TV interview, Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “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.

“But Akpabio was not satisfied; he then called for Yahaya Bello. It was Senator Asuquo who drove Yahaya Bello to the Hiltons. 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.”

The embattled Senator further claimed that Akpabio was strategic in his directives.

“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello to kill me. Akpabio told him to make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja. It should be done here. So it will seem as if the people killed me here. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the police about it,” she alleged.