The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has struck out the defamation suit filed by the Federal Government against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following the government’s decision to discontinue the case.
Justice Chizoba Orji struck out the matter after the prosecution, led by Aderonke Imana, formally applied to withdraw the suit. Acting on the prosecution’s request, counsel to the senator, West Idahosa, urged the court to strike out the case entirely and to order the release of all documents deposited by the defendant and her sureties.
The prosecution did not oppose the defence application.
In a brief ruling, Justice Orji struck out the suit, discharged the sureties, and directed that all documents belonging to the defendant and her sureties be returned.
The Federal Government had instituted the case in May 2025, accusing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making defamatory statements during a live television interview. The suit, filed on May 16, 2025, named the senator as the sole defendant.
According to the charge, the senator was alleged to have made imputations “knowing or having reason to believe that such imputations would harm the reputation of a person,” contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, an offence punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
One of the central allegations stemmed from comments attributed to Akpoti-Uduaghan during the interview, in which she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to assassinate her.
The prosecution claimed that the senator stated that discussions had taken place between Akpabio and Bello to eliminate her, questioned the withdrawal of her security detail, and suggested that the move was intended to make her vulnerable to attack.
The Federal Government argued that the senator knew, or ought to have known, that such statements would damage the reputation of the Senate President.
With the court’s ruling striking out the case, the legal proceedings against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan have now formally come to an end.
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