Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge filed by the Federal Government, accusing her of making false claims of an assassination plot involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Appearing before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan denied the allegations after the charges were read before trial judge, Justice Chizoba Orji.
The federal government, in charge number CR/297/25, alleged that the senator made defamatory remarks during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025. Prosecutors claim she falsely accused top political figures of plotting to assassinate her, an offence they say violates sections 391 and 392 of the Penal Code.
Following her plea, the prosecution, led by David Kaswe, asked the court to remand her in a correctional facility, arguing that she posed a flight risk and was difficult to serve with court documents.
However, her counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Roland Otaru, opposed the remand application, urging the court to grant bail on self-recognition. He noted that the charges were not indictable, and that the maximum penalty of two years did not warrant custodial detention. He further stressed that Akpoti-Uduaghan is a serving senator representing five local government areas.
Justice Chizoba Orji, ruling on the bail application, granted the senator bail for ₦50 million and ordered that she produce one surety who must be a person of integrity and own landed property in Abuja. The court held that there was no compelling reason to deny her bail, citing constitutional provisions and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The trial has been scheduled to commence on September 23.
The case has generated significant public interest, as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, are listed as nominal complainants, alongside other witnesses, including two police investigators, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Sandra Duru.
This legal development follows Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s earlier six-month suspension from the Senate, which she is currently challenging at the Federal High Court in Abuja. That matter is set for hearing on June 27. The suspension was triggered by a confrontation with the Senate President during plenary on February 20, and her subsequent claim in a television interview that her challenges in the Senate stemmed from rejecting alleged personal advances from Akpabio.
In an earlier letter to the Attorney General of the Federation, the senator also accused the police of bias in investigating her petition against Akpabio.
