The Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for alleging on live television that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello plotted to assassinate her.
According to the letter, the charges, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, stem from statements made during an April 3, 2025, interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today where the government accuses the senator of making defamatory imputations under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, punishable under Section 392, claiming her statements harmed the reputation of the accused.
During the broadcast, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged a meeting between Akpabio and Bello to “eliminate” her, questioning why her security was withdrawn after an “illegal” Senate suspension, leaving her vulnerable. She reiterated these claims from a prior Kogi State rally, alleging Akpabio instructed Bello to kill her outside Abuja to disguise it as a local act, with funds exchanged to initiate her recall. She claimed to have informed the police but kept details private until the interview.
This is not the first time Akpoti-Uduaghan raised concerns about threats to her life, citing her high-profile status in Nigeria’s volatile political landscape since 2018. The senator, previously suspended for six months by the Senate for alleged misconduct, had also accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, a matter still unresolved amid broader controversies involving Senate intimidation and suppression.
The charge sheet lists the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant, with details of the charges still emerging as the case unfolds in Abuja’s High Court.