A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to embattled lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the sum of ₦50 million in the defamation case instituted against her by the Federal Government.
Natasha appeared before the court on Thursday morning to face a three-count defamation charge filed by the Federal Government on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. She arrived in the company of her husband and supporters, including former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, and prominent human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu.
Presiding judge, Justice Chizoba Orji, rejected the federal government’s application to remand Akpoti-Uduaghan in prison custody. In his ruling, the judge stated that there were no valid grounds to deny the defendant bail, noting that there was sufficient evidence indicating her willingness to stand trial.
The court ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to produce one surety who must be a person of integrity and own landed property within Abuja. The matter was adjourned to September 23, 2025, for further hearing.
Following the court’s decision, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters erupted in jubilation outside the court premises. In videos shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the crowd could be seen chanting and singing in celebration of the bail ruling.
The charges against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan stem from statements she allegedly made during a television interview, where she claimed that Senate President Akpabio and former Governor Bello had conspired to have her killed.
“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,” she had said.
The Federal Government, in one of the charges, accuses Akpoti-Uduaghan of making imputations intended to harm the reputation of others, contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
The case is expected to continue later in the year, with legal and political observers closely watching the proceedings.
