A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has granted suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, bail in the sum of N50 million.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Chizoba Orji dismissed the federal government’s request to remand the lawmaker in prison, ruling that there was enough proof she was prepared to face trial.
The court, however, directed that Akpoti-Uduaghan must present one surety who must be a person of integrity and possess landed property within Abuja.
Justice Orji cited Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, as basis for the decision.
The court fixed September 23 for the commencement of the trial.
The federal government had arraigned Akpoti-Uduaghan on a three -count charge, accusing her of making false and defamatory statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The charge, marked CR/297/25, stated that Senator Natasha made the allegations during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, claiming both men plotted to assassinate her.
She was accused of knowingly making an imputation that could damage reputations, an offence under section 391 of the Penal Code, and punishable under section 392.
Among witnesses named in the case are Senate President Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Sandra Duru, along with police officers Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba who investigated the matter.
The charge followed a letter the lawmaker wrote to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), accusing the police of bias in their handling of her petitions.
Meanwhile, a separate legal action by the Senator is ongoing at the Federal High Court in Abuja, which is set to rule on June 27 on the legality of her six-month suspension from the Senate.
The suspension stemmed from a February 20 plenary clash with Senate President Akpabio, after she protested an arbitrary change of her seat and alleged on national TV that her troubles in the Senate began after she rejected Akpabio’s advances.
She has also asked the court to void any actions taken by the Senate Ethics Committee while her suit remains undecided.
