FG Slams Six Cybercrime Charges Against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
The Federal Government has filed six cybercrime charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for allegedly spreading false claims that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ex-Governor Yahaya Bello plotted her assassination. Filed under the amended 2024 Cybercrimes Act, the charges include defamation and inciting public disorder. The case is seen as a major test of Nigeria's strengthened digital misinformation laws.
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Senator Natasha docked on cybercrime charges
Suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was on Monday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on cybercrime charges.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on a six-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar.
She is, in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025 brought under the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, etc (Amendment) Act 2024 alleged to have transmitted false and injurious information via electronic means with the intention to malign, incite, and endanger lives and breach public order.
Among the particulars of the charge are claims that Akpoti-Uduaghan, while addressing a gathering on April 4th 2025 in Ihima, Kogi State alleged that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio instructed ex-governor Yahaya Bello to have her killed in Kogi State.
She was also alleged to have, in a television interview, repeated similar claims, to the effect that the Senate President and the former Governor of Kogi State plotted to kill her in her state.
Akpoti-Uduaghan pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to her on Monday by an official of the court.
Following her plea of not guilty, prosecuting lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar (the DPPF) sought a date for the commencement of trial.
Defence lawyer, Rowland Otaru (SAN) informed the court that a motion for bail had been filed for his client.
He sought the court’s permission to move the application, which Abubakar did not object.
Abubakar said he did not file any counter affidavit, but urged the court to grant bail on condition that will secure the defendant’s attendance of further proceedings.
Ruling, Justice Mohammed Umar noted that the defendant is a serving Senator and proceeded to grant her bail on self recognisance.
Justice Umar then adjourned till September 22 for the commencement of trial.
This is the second time the Senator would be arraigned within two weeks.
She was arraigned on June 19 on a three-count defamation charge before Justice Chizoba Oji of the HIgh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge marked: CR/297/25 and was granted bail at N50million and one reasonable surety in the like sum.
The judge ordered that the surety must own a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
Justice Oji adjourned till September 23 for the commencement of trial.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is, in count one of the charge, accused of making harmful imputation which she knew would harm the reputation of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by claiming he plotted, with former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, to kill her.
In count two, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making a similar harmful imputation knowing that it will harm the reputation of ex-governor Yahaya Bello.
She is, in count three, accused of making another imputation, which she knew would harm the reputation of Akpabio by associating him with the death of one Miss Imoren Iniubong.
Court grants Natasha bail on self-recognisance
By Deborah Musa
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Udauaghan bail on self-recognisance.
Akpoti-Udauaghan was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.
After the charges were read to her, she pleaded not guilty to all.
The senator allegedly made false and damaging statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi State’s former governor, Yahaya Bello.
According to the charge, Akpoti-Udauaghan was alleged to have said, “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done in Kogi, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.”
Days later, during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today, she reiterated the allegations, asserting: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”
The Federal Government stated that these statements, widely disseminated through digital platforms, were knowingly false and intended to incite unrest.
The FG further contended that the remarks violate “Section 24(2)(c)” of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the intentional spread of false information to damage reputations or provoke public disorder.
While applying for bail, Akpoti-Udauaghan’s legal team, led by Professor Roland Otaru (SAN), requested that she be granted bail on self-recognition being a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a senior member of the bar.
He added that there is no counter-affidavit from the prosecution, challenging the bail application.
Justice Mohammed Umar proceeded to grant the request of the defence counsel and granted the senator bail on self-recognisance.
The court adjourned until September 22, for the commencement of trial.
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