A High Court sitting in Lokoja has directed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay ₦1 billion in damages after delivering judgment in favour of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in a prolonged defamation case.
The ruling, handed down by Justice A. S. Ibrahim and detailed in a Certified True Copy dated April 23, 2026, followed proceedings in suit number HCL/16/2023. The court concluded that the claimant successfully proved his case based on the balance of probabilities.
In his judgment, the presiding judge determined that remarks made by the senator during a November 4, 2022 appearance on ARISE Television’s The Morning Show were defamatory and damaging to Bello’s reputation.
The court observed that the statements included claims portraying the former governor as a murderer and associating him with acts of violence, assertions the court said were not supported by evidence.
Justice Ibrahim also granted a perpetual injunction preventing the defendant, alongside her representatives and associates, from issuing or repeating similar statements on any platform, including broadcast and digital media.
In addition to the financial penalty, the court stressed that the defamatory statements had significantly harmed the claimant’s public image, thereby warranting the heavy damages awarded in his favour.
The case was originally instituted by Yahaya Bello, who alleged injury to his reputation. His legal representatives argued that the suit was validly filed and did not constitute an abuse of court process, countering objections raised by the defence regarding jurisdiction.
Although the defence team, led by Senior Advocate Johnson J. Usman, contended that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter, the trial court dismissed the argument. That position was later reinforced by the Court of Appeal in case number CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024, which rejected the appeal for lacking merit and affirmed the lower court’s authority to adjudicate the case.
With the appellate court’s backing, the ruling now stands as a conclusive judicial determination, effectively bringing the high-profile legal dispute between both parties to a close.
What You Should Know
The court ruling marks a significant development in Nigeria’s legal and political space, reinforcing the consequences of defamatory statements made in public forums.
By awarding ₦1 billion in damages and issuing a perpetual injunction, the court underscored the importance of evidence-based claims, especially by public officials. The decision also highlights how defamation suits can move through multiple judicial levels before reaching finality.
With the Court of Appeal affirming the lower court’s jurisdiction and findings, the judgment now carries full legal weight, closing a long-standing dispute between the senator and former governor.
