Defamation Charges: Nigerian govt lists Akpabio, Yahaya Bello as witnesses against Akpoti-Uduaghan

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello have been lined up to testify in a criminal defamation case against Kogi Central senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

PREMIUM TIMES reported Thursday that the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), under the Federal Ministry of Justice, charged Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan on 16 May at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.

The prosecution alleged that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan defamed Messrs Akpabio and Bello by accusing them, during a television programme, of plotting to assassinate her.

It alleged in the three counts preferred against the senator that she made the “imputation” on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on 3 April, knowing or having reason to believe that it would harm the reputations of the two political figures.

The case was brought under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, which criminalises imputations made with intent to harm another’s reputation. If convicted, the offence carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Messrs Akpabio and Bello are not the only witnesses proposed to testify in the case.

Others on the prosecution’s list of witnesses obtained by PREMIUM TIMES include Asuquo Ekpenyong, a senator.

The document, submitted as part of the proof of evidence in court, also names Sandra Duru—a US-based woman previously accused of defamation by Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan—as another witness.

Other proposed prosecution witnesses are police officers – Maya Iliya, an assistant commissioner of police, and Abdulhafiz Garba, a superintendent of police.

Televised allegations

During the controversial television interview in April, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been on a six-month-suspension from the Senate since 6 March, directly accused Messrs Akpabio and Bello of plotting her assassination.

“I am glad you did admit that I am a lawyer, and even if I am not a lawyer, I am a sane individual, and I do stand by what I said. In respect to the meeting or discussion Akpabio had [with] Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me,” she said.

She claimed that the withdrawal of her security details as a senator following her suspension was part of a plan to expose her to attacks.

“Just ask the Senate President why he withdrew my security if not to make me vulnerable to attacks. Mind you, of all the senators, about 109, we all have different stories.

“I have been a high-profile, vulnerable individual because of the nature of politics I have had, I have experienced since the year 2018. Very violent and dangerous. And I always have my security. So stripping me of my security because I am suspended illegally, actually it just positions me before attacks.”

At a political rally in Kogi State, weeks before herTV appearance, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan had alleged that Mr Akpabio first attempted to influence Kogi Governor Usman Ododo to support her recall and later allegedly recruited Mr Bello to both sponsor a recall process and plot her assassination.

“But Akpabio was not satisfied; he then called for Yahaya Bello. It was Senator Asuquo who drove Yahaya Bello to the Hiltons. I was informed.

“The meeting was in two folds; he told him to commence my recall. He was going to fund it. Of course, money changed hands that day. The second thing was that he should kill me,” she allegedly said.

She also said the police had been notified of the alleged plot, though no public investigation has been announced.

Allegation denied

Both Messrs Akpabio and Bello have denied the allegations.

Mr Akpabio described the claims as “false,” “malicious,” and “a complete fabrication.”

“This statement is not only a heinous lie but a reckless and deliberate attempt to damage my reputation, endanger my life and security, and incite political unrest.

“I categorically state that this allegation is entirely false, unfounded, and politically motivated. It is a calculated act of blackmail and character assassination, designed to portray me as a political villain, and the statement was made without any shred of truth or supporting evidence,” Mr. Akpabio said in his letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and Inspector General of Police.

Consequently, Mr Bello’s legal team labelled the remarks “reckless and inciting.”

In the petition signed by N.A. Abubakar, his lawyer, asked the IGP to invite Akpoti-Uduaghan to substantiate her allegations against him with credible evidence.

Mr Bello filed the petition with the Inspector-General of Police demanding Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s arrest and prosecution for criminal defamation.

Senator with many legal battles

The new criminal case adds to the series of legal battles stemming from her political rivalry with Mr Bello, Mr Akpabio, and their families.

Mr Akpabio’s wife, Ekaette Akpabio, filed two separate defamation suits against the suspended Kogi senator, demanding N350 billion in damages for reputational harm allegedly inflicted upon her husband.

She is not just being sued.

READ ALSO: Akpoti-Uduaghan petitions IGP over alleged defamation by Akpabio, US-based activist

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan is locked in a legal battle with Mr Akpabio and others, in a suit she filed against him and others in March to challenge her suspension from the Senate.

She also sued Mr Akpabio and his legislative aide, Mfon Patrick, in a separate case, in the aftermath of her sexual harassment allegation against the senate president.

In another episode of her legal battles, the FCT High Court in Abuja recently dismissed a privacy breach case instituted against her by Mr Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello, who is the Chief of Staff to the incumbent Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo.

The judge threw out the case on the grounds that the claimant failed to prove the privacy violation allegation but rebuked Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for her “reprehensible” social media post that triggered the legal action.