Senator Natasha Akpoti
Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Chizoba Oji, has adjourned proceedings to October 27 to consider a preliminary objection filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in response to criminal defamation charges brought against her.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, is accused of making defamatory remarks against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The adjournment followed objections raised by her legal counsel, Ehighioge West-Idahosa, SAN, who argued that the charges were procedurally flawed.
He pointed to what he described as an “abuse of prosecutorial powers” by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), noting that the same matter was being pursued concurrently in both the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
“This amounts to an abuse of court process,” West-Idahosa told the court.
Earlier, prosecuting counsel David Kaswe had signaled readiness to proceed, informing the court that his first witness, SP Abdulhafeez Garba, was present and prepared to testify. He sought the court’s permission to begin the trial.
However, West-Idahosa opposed the move, stating that a motion challenging both the validity of the charges and the court’s jurisdiction had already been filed and duly served on the AGF’s office.
While Kaswe argued that he had not been personally served nor informed of the motion, Justice Oji confirmed from the court file that the AGF’s office had indeed received the motion and failed to respond within the required timeframe.
Kaswe eventually conceded that the AGF had been out of the country and was yet to review the motion.
After weighing the arguments, Justice Oji ruled in favor of deferring the trial to allow the AGF to formally respond, emphasizing the need to uphold fair hearing standards.
The court set October 27 as the date to hear both the senator’s motion and the AGF’s response.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had earlier been arraigned on a three-count charge related to alleged defamatory statements made during a television interview. She pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of ₦50 million with one surety of equal amount. The court stipulated that the surety must own landed property within its jurisdiction.
The case is marked CR/297/25 and was filed on May 15, 2025.
