January 15, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government on Thursday, January 15, 2026, formally withdrew the criminal defamation case against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Consequently, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja struck out the suit following the prosecution’s application for discontinuance.
Justice Chizoba Orji struck out the case after the prosecution counsel, Aderonke Imana, informed the court of the Federal Government’s decision to drop all charges.
Counsel to the Senator, West Idahosa (SAN), did not oppose the withdrawal but requested the immediate release of all documents deposited by the defendant and her sureties.
Justice Orji granted the request, discharging the sureties and ordering the return of all travel and identification documents.
Reacting to the ruling outside the courtroom, Senator Natasha described the legal battle as a “misuse of power” intended to persecute her.
She pointed fingers at Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, accusing them of orchestrating a political witch-hunt.
“Senate President Akpabio and former Governor Yahaya Bello are individuals who misuse power to their advantage in witch-hunting an innocent person, which is myself,” the Senator stated.
She however expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his personal intervention, noting that once the President was briefed on the true nature of the dispute, he ordered the discontinuance of the two federal cases against her.
The legal saga began in May 2025, when the Federal Government filed criminal defamation charges following a live television interview granted by the Senator.
In that broadcast, Akpoti-Uduaghan had alleged that discussions held between Akpabio and Bello were aimed at her “elimination.”
She further claimed her security detail was withdrawn to make her vulnerable to assassination attempts.
The government had initially argued that these statements violated Section 391 of the Penal Code, claiming they were made with the intent to harm the reputation of the Senate President.
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