Akpabio, Bello To Testify In FG’s Defamation Suit Against Akpoti-Uduaghan

THE Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, will testify in the suit instituted by the Federal Government against Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, over her alleged defamatory comments on live television on April 3.
The suit, marked CR/297/25, and filed before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on May 16, this year, has Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant.
Other witnesses billed to testify in the suit include Asuquo Ekpenyong, a senator; Sandra Duru; Maya Iliya, Investigating Police Officers (IPOs), with
Akpabio and Bello as the nominal complainants.
The government accused Akpoti-Uduaghan 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, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
Count one of the charge accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of making defamatory allegations during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on April 3, 2025.
Recall that the senator was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct,” following her altercation with Akpabio over seating arrangement.
She said her suspension was illegal, unjust and a way of silencing her, rejecting the Senate’s position that she was not suspended over her sexual harassment claim.
In April, Akpabio petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the assassination allegation levelled against him by Akpoti-Uduaghan, demanding an immediate investigation and prosecution of Akpoti-Uduaghan under relevant laws for “criminal defamation, incitement, false accusation and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.”
On his part, Bello also petitioned the IGP over the senator’s allegation that the former governor initiated and funded her recall process, and that he acted on Akpabio’s instruction to orchestrate her assassination outside Abuja, in a manner that would appear as a mob or local attack.