The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, has granted bail in the sum of N50 million to the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Chizoba Orji, the court dismissed the Federal Government’s application to have the defendant remanded in prison custody while awaiting trial on a three-count charge.
Justice Orji stated that she saw no justification to deny bail, noting that there is adequate indication the defendant is prepared to stand trial.
As part of the bail conditions, the court ruled that in addition to the N50 million, Akpoti-Uduaghan must provide one surety — a person of reputable character who owns landed property in Abuja.
The decision was anchored on Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and Sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The trial was adjourned to September 23. The Federal Government is prosecuting the lawmaker for allegedly making a false allegation that “the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former Governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, were behind plot to assassinate her.”
In the case with charge number CR/297/25, the FG alleges that Akpoti-Uduaghan, the sole defendant, made these false and defamatory claims during a live television appearance.
She is specifically accused of making “imputation, knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”
According to the charge, the alleged imputation damaged the reputation of others, constituting an offence under Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under Section 392 of the same code.
The FG claims the offence took place on April 3 during a live broadcast of Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
Among the listed witnesses are Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, both named as nominal complainants.
Other witnesses include investigating police officers Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Sandra Duru.
The charge, dated May 16, followed a letter from Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in which she accused the police of bias in probing her petitions against the Senate President.
It is noteworthy that the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 27 to rule on the legality of the six-month suspension imposed on her by the Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had approached the court after being summoned by the Senate’s disciplinary committee over a confrontation with the Senate President during the February 20 plenary session.
While contesting what she called an arbitrary change in her seating position, she raised several points of order seeking to speak, despite being overruled by the Senate President.
Her actions led the Senate President to refer her to the Ethics Committee. In a February 28 television interview, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that “her travails in the Senate began after she rejected unwanted advances from the Senate President, Akpabio.”
In an ex-parte application filed in court, she asked that any actions taken by the Senate Committee during the pendency of her case — including her suspension — be declared “null, void, and of no effect.”