The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has granted bail to the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the sum of N50 million.
In her ruling, Justice Chizoba Orji dismissed the Federal Government’s request to have the defendant detained in prison until the trial concludes. The Judge stated that she saw no justification to refuse bail, citing compelling evidence of the Senator’s readiness to face prosecution.
As part of the bail conditions, the Court ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to present one surety. The surety must be a reputable individual who possesses landed property within Abuja.
The decision was grounded in the provisions of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), along with Sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The trial has been scheduled to commence on September 23.
The Federal Government is prosecuting Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on a three-count charge for allegedly making false allegations implicating the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in an alleged assassination plot against her.
In the charge, numbered CR/297/25, the government claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan, named as the sole defendant, made the defamatory statement during a live appearance on Television.
She is specifically accused of making a damaging imputation “knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”
The Federal Government contended that by making the alleged false and damaging claim, she violated Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. The offence, it added, is punishable under Section 392 of the same code.
According to the first count, the alleged offence occurred on April 3, 2023.
The list of prosecution witnesses includes Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ex-Governor Yahaya Bello, who were named as nominal complainants in the case. Other witnesses expected to testify are police officers Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Sandra Duru.
The charge, dated May 16, was filed after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in which she accused the police of partiality in investigating her petitions against the Senate President.
