Justice Chizoba Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has dismissed the defamation suit brought by the Federal Government against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Udughan.
The trial judge struck out the case after the prosecution, led by Aderonke Imana, formally applied to discontinue the matter. Following the move by the government, counsel to the senator, West Idahosa, asked the court to strike out the suit in line with the prosecution’s request.
Idahosa further urged the court to order the release of all documents submitted by the defendant and her sureties during the pendency of the case. The prosecution did not oppose the defence’s application.
In a brief ruling, Justice Orji struck out the suit, discharged the sureties and directed that all documents belonging to them be returned without delay.
The Federal Government had initiated the case in May 2025, accusing the Kogi Central senator of making defamatory statements during a live television appearance. The charge, filed on May 16, 2025, listed Akpoti-Udughan as the sole defendant before the FCT High Court.
According to the charge, the government alleged that the senator committed an offence by “making an imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person,” contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, which is punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
One of the allegations stemmed from claims by Akpoti-Udughan that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello were involved in a plot to assassinate her.
The Federal Government further accused the senator of making damaging imputations during the television interview concerning Senator Akpabio, stating, “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me.
“Let’s ask the Senate President, why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks. He then emphasized that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.
“What is important to me is to stay alive, because dead men tell no tales, who is going to get justice for me?”
The government argued that the senator knew or ought to have known that such statements would damage the reputation of the Senate President. With the withdrawal of the case, the court has now brought the matter to an end.
What you should know
The striking out of the defamation case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udughan means there is no longer any active criminal proceeding against her on the allegations linked to her television comments.
When a case is struck out following a withdrawal by the prosecution, it does not amount to a judgment on the merits, but it effectively ends the matter unless refiled.
The decision also reinforces the discretionary power of the Federal Government to discontinue criminal proceedings and the court’s authority to discharge defendants and their sureties once such withdrawal is made.
