Akpabio: FG Slams Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan with Defamation Charges
The Federal Government has filed a lawsuit against Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, under the newly amended Cybercrimes Act of 2024. The case, lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja, represents a major test of the law, which aims to curb digital misinformation and protect public order.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is facing six criminal charges for allegedly making false and defamatory claims against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. According to the charges, between April 1 and 14, 2025, she publicly alleged—both during a speech in Ihima, Kogi State and in a live interview on Channels TV—that Akpabio and Bello plotted to have her assassinated.
One of her statements read:
“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done here, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.”
The government argues that these statements, which circulated widely online, were deliberately false and intended to stir public unrest—thereby violating Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalizes false information meant to damage reputations or incite disorder.
The six charges include:
- Defamation against Akpabio (Counts 1 & 3)
- Defamation against Bello (Counts 2 & 4)
- Spreading falsehoods to provoke public unrest (Counts 5 & 6)
The prosecution maintains that such remarks, if left unaddressed, could damage public trust in governance and escalate political tensions. The amended Cybercrimes Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, reinforces Nigeria’s efforts to combat harmful digital content and protect national stability.
