Akpabio, Yahaya Bello Named as Witnesses in FG’s Defamation Case Against Senator Natasha

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello have been listed as key prosecution witnesses in the Federal Government’s defamation case against suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The senator, who represents Kogi Central, is currently standing trial at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over statements she made during a live television appearance. The charges stem from remarks made on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on April 3, 2025, where Akpoti-Uduaghan accused both Akpabio and Bello of conspiring to assassinate her.

“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 emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.”

The Federal Government filed the suit on May 16, citing her comments as “defamatory imputations” in violation of Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. The alleged offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same code.

Court documents confirm that both Akpabio and Bello will testify during the proceedings, as the prosecution aims to prove that the senator’s statements were intended to damage their reputations.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6 following allegations of gross misconduct, including a controversial dispute with the Senate President over seating arrangements. Her legal troubles have since escalated into what could become one of the most politically charged defamation trials in recent Nigerian history.