FG Files Criminal Charges Against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Akpabio, Yahaya Bello to Testify



 The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed criminal charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan following explosive allegations she made on national television, where she accused top political figures of plotting to assassinate her.

The charges, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, list the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant, with Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant. A charge sheet obtained by SaharaReporters reveals that the senator is being accused under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, for “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.” The alleged offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same law.

The matter stems from an interview Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan granted on April 3, 2025, during a live broadcast of Politics Today on Channels Television. In the interview, she claimed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello had allegedly conspired to have her assassinated.

“I do stand by what I said,” Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan declared during the interview. “In respect to the meeting or discussion Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me... Just ask the Senate President why did he withdraw my security if not to make me vulnerable to attacks.”

She further stated: “Of all the senators, about 109, we all have different stories. I have been a high-profiled, vulnerable individual because of the nature of politics I have had since 2018. Very violent and dangerous. So stripping me of my security because I am suspended illegally, actually, just positions me before attacks.”

This is not the first time Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has voiced fears for her safety. Weeks before the interview, during a homecoming rally in Kogi State, she made further damning allegations against Senate President Akpabio.

“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello to kill me,” she claimed. “He told him to make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja—it should be done here [in Kogi] so it will seem as if the people killed me here. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the police about it.”

The senator’s comments and subsequent criminal charges come amid heightened political tension and internal controversies within the Nigerian Senate. She has previously accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment—allegations that were followed by her suspension from the Senate for six months on grounds of “misconduct,” a disciplinary action she insists was politically motivated.

The government has yet to release full details of the prosecution or set a trial date, but the development has already triggered widespread debate about the limits of parliamentary privilege, freedom of speech, and the protection of whistleblowers in Nigeria’s democratic space.

As of the time of this report, neither Senate President Akpabio nor former Governor Yahaya Bello has issued a public response to the criminal filing or the senator’s allegations.



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