The Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over her allegations that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello plotted to assassinate her.
The government has listed Akpabio and Bello, along with four others, as witnesses in the case.
The senator is accused of criminal defamation under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
The charges stem from an interview she granted on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, on April 3, 2025, where she openly accused Akpabio and Bello of plotting her assassination.
The government intends to call the following witnesses:
- Godswill Akpabio, Senate President
- Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Kogi State Governor
- Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo
- Dr. Sandra C. Duru, a US-based individual
- ACP Maya Iliya, police officer from the IGP Monitoring Unit
- SP Abdulhafiz Garba, police officer from the IGP Monitoring Unit
Senator Natasha had made similar claims at a political rally in Kogi State, alleging that powerful figures in Abuja were plotting her assassination through local proxies.
The case is set to be heard at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
