Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Senator Natasha Akpoti (middle) and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello
The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the Federal Government’s application for a bench warrant against suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in an alleged defamation case.
The federal government, prosecuting Akpoti-Uduaghan on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, had sought the warrant due to her absence from court.
Prosecuting counsel Mr. D.D. Kasue argued that Akpoti-Uduaghan was aware of the charge, having been served through her counsel, and therefore deserved to be brought before the court.
“It was this morning that we were able to serve the defendant through her counsel, but the defendant is not in court… I apply that a bench warrant be issued against her for failure to attend court to take her plea in this criminal charge,” Kasue said.
However, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Mr. Jacob Usman, SAN, countered that the application was “strange and uncourteous,” pointing out that his client had not been directly served with the charge. “I was served the charge at 9:15 this morning here in court, so how will the defendant know that the matter is coming up when she has not seen the charge?” Usman argued.
Justice Musa Umar agreed with the defense, stating that issuing a bench warrant without proper service would be unjust.
“It is impossible to grant the application of the prosecutor and issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant when she had not been served,” the judge ruled, instead allowing for substituted service through her counsel.
The case has been adjourned until June 30 for arraignment, stemming from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s alleged defamatory comments against Akpabio and Bello during a live TV appearance.
