Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in Kogi State, has been summoned to court on Tuesday.
This was confirmed by her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), on Sunday.
Idahosa, on the other hand, was unsure whether the federal government intended to charge her on Tuesday.
He stated that regardless of the federal government’s plans, Natasha, as a law-abiding citizen, will follow the court’s directions.
The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed criminal charges against Natasha, claiming that she made defamatory statements during a live television broadcast and a private phone conversation.
These words apparently targeted Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
According to the charge, filed on May 16, 2025, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court and marked CR/297/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making a statement during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025, in which she claimed that Akpabio and Bello discussed plans to assassinate her.
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night— to eliminate me… He then emphasised that I should be killed in Kogi,” the charge quotes her as saying.
Additionally, the government accused Natasha of uttering disparaging remarks over the phone on March 27, 2025.
In an interview with Dr Sandra Duru, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly revealed that Akpabio was involved in organ harvesting involving the late Iniobong Umoren,Iniobong ostensibly for the sake of his ailing wife.
Akpabio, Bello, and four other individuals have been identified as important witnesses in the trial.
Idahosa reiterated the legal team’s preparedness to defend Akpoti-Uduaghan in court.
“If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly with our client”
“The issue of protest is irrelevant to us — we are lawyers, and our focus is on defending charges we believe can be contested. Protests are the domain of civil societies and others in that terrain,” Idahosa said.
He also stated, “Our client is a law-abiding citizen. Why wouldn’t she be there? It’s a summons we have undertaken. Only disrespectful institutions that disregard court orders would fail to appear, and she is not in that category.”
Speaking on the possibility of arraignment, Idahosa noted, “We don’t know. We saw a notice of amended charges. We don’t know what they are trying to do. They’ve amended the charges once and could do so again—it’s their decision.”
