Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello have been named as prosecution witnesses in the defamation trial of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, currently being prosecuted by the Federal Government.
The lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, is facing charges at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over comments she made during a live television interview, where she accused Akpabio and Bello of plotting to assassinate her.
In the suit filed on May 16, the Federal Government accused the embattled senator of making “defamatory imputations” that could injure the reputation of individuals, 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.
According to court documents, Akpabio and Bello are listed as key witnesses who will testify against Akpoti-Uduaghan during the trial.
The charges stem from an explosive allegation made by the senator on April 3, 2025, during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme. She alleged that the Senate President and Yahaya Bello held a meeting to plot her assassination.
Quoting part of her statement, the charge sheet reads: “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 prosecution argued that the senator made the remarks knowing or having reason to believe that they would harm the reputation of Akpabio and Bello.
