News Update
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court in Maitama has granted bail to the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the sum of N50 million.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Chizoba Orji dismissed the Federal Government’s request to have the lawmaker remanded in prison custody while her trial proceeds on a three-count charge.
The judge ruled that there was no valid reason to deny the defendant bail, noting that there was sufficient indication she is prepared to face trial.
In addition to the N50 million bail, the court ordered that Akpoti-Uduaghan must produce one surety, described as a person of integrity who owns a landed property in Abuja.
The decision was based on Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to September 23 for commencement of trial.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is being prosecuted over allegations that she claimed Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello were behind an alleged plot to assassinate her.
In charge CR/297/25, she is accused of making false and defamatory statements during a live appearance on a television programme.
According to the charge, the lawmaker was accused of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person,” an offence under section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under section 392.
The alleged offence occurred on April 3, during a live broadcast of Politics Today on Channels Television.
Among those listed as prosecution witnesses are Akpabio and Bello, who were named as nominal complainants, as well as two police officers, Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Sandra Duru.
The charge, dated May 16, followed a petition by Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), accusing the police of bias in investigating her complaints against the Senate President.
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