Court grants senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan ₦50m bail

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, has granted ₦50 million bail to the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In a ruling delivered by Justice Chizoba Orji, the court dismissed the Federal Government’s application seeking to have the senator remanded in prison custody pending the determination of the case against her.

Justice Orji said she found no reason to deny the defendant bail, noting that the court was satisfied with evidence showing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s willingness to face trial.

“There is sufficient material before the court indicating that the defendant is prepared to face the charges against her,” the judge held.

As part of her bail conditions, the senator is required to produce one surety, who must be a person of integrity and must own landed property within Abuja.

The court based its decision on the provisions of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. The case has been adjourned to September 23, 2025, for trial.

The Federal Government is prosecuting Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on a three-count charge over comments she allegedly made during a live television appearance on April 3, 2025. According to the charge marked CR/297/25, the lawmaker falsely accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, of plotting to assassinate her.

The prosecution claims the remarks were made while the senator was a guest on Channels Television’s “Politics Today.”

The charge alleges that the comments amounted to a false and defamatory imputation “knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”

It further states that her actions contravened Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and are punishable under Section 392 of the same law.

Among the witnesses listed by the prosecution are Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Governor Yahaya Bello, who were both named as nominal complainants in the matter. Others include two police investigators, Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba; Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong; and one Sandra Duru.

The charges followed a letter Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in which she accused the police of bias in their investigation of her petitions against the Senate President.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja is set to rule on June 27 on the legality of the six-month suspension imposed on the senator by the Senate. Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended following a heated exchange with the Senate President during plenary on February 20.

She had protested the alleged arbitrary change of her seating position and continued to raise points of order, despite being overruled by Senator Akpabio. Her conduct led to her being referred to the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee.

In a television interview on February 28, the senator alleged that her ordeal in the Senate began after she rejected what she described as unwanted advances from the Senate President.

Following her suspension, she approached the Federal High Court with an ex-parte application seeking a declaration that any action taken by the Senate Committee while her suit is pending including the suspension, should be declared “null, void, and of no effect.”