New charges have been brought against suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Federal Government.
Only a few weeks after a related case, CR/297/25, was instituted at the FCT High Court, the new charge, designated FHC/ABJ/CR/195/25, was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on May 22, 2025. Both charges stemmed from the female senator’s alleged remarks that the government said hurt Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello’s reputations.
While the case before the FCT High Court is premised on Section 392 of the Penal Code, which deals with criminal defamation, the Federal High Court charge is filed under Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2024 (as amended). The government alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan made online statements that “could damage the public image” of Akpabio and Bello.
The senator has continuously refuted the accusations, calling them politically driven and intended to silence critics.
Allegations of forum shopping, a contentious legal strategy when litigants file identical or similar claims in many courts to maximize their chances of obtaining a favorable verdict, have been sparked by the filing of parallel charges in other courts.
After being granted bail by the FCT High Court on June 19, 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court for arraignment on June 30, 2025.
