Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has appeared at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja. She is currently facing trial for alleged defamation.

Senator Akpoti is being accused of making statements that could damage the reputation of two top Nigerian politicians. She arrived at the court by 10:30 a.m. ahead of the official start of the hearing.

The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed the case against her. The criminal charge, labeled CR/297/25, accuses her of defaming the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

According to the case file, the alleged statements were made during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on April 3, 2025. In the interview, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and Senate President Akpabio of plotting to have her killed, disguised as a local mob attack near Abuja.

The Senate President and Yahaya Bello are listed in the case as the key complainants. The government claims that Akpoti’s remarks were knowingly harmful and meant to damage their public image.

In the live broadcast, she allegedly questioned why the Senate President withdrew her security, suggesting that it was done to make her vulnerable. She also claimed he wanted her eliminated, specifically in Kogi State. She expressed deep concern for her safety, saying, “Dead people don’t speak. Who will fight for justice if I am killed?”

The court proceedings are ongoing, and the case has drawn attention from political observers and the public.