A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abuja on Thursday, June 19, 2025, granted Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a ₦50 million bail.
The Court presided over by Justice Chizoba Orji, outrightly rejected the plea of the prosecution to keep Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in prison pending the resumption of the case in September.
Justice Orji, while delivering her ruling, dismissed the Federal Government’s application to remand Akpoti-Uduaghan in prison custody, and held that there was no compelling reason to deny her bail.
The trial judge said that the defendant had shown a willingness to face her trial, thus deserved to remain free pending its conclusion.
Accordingly, as part of her bail conditions, Senator Akpoti-Natasha is to provide a person of integrity and who owns a verifiable landed property within Abuja as surety.
Justice Orji said that her ruling was premised on the presumption of innocence, as enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The court thereafter, adjourned the case to September 23, 2025, for trial.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is being prosecuted over alleged false and defamatory claims against Senator Godswill Akpabio, who is the Senate President and Yahaya Bello, a former Kogi State.
According to the charge (marked: CR/297/25), the alleged statements were made during a live appearance on Channels Television programme, ‘Politics Today’ on April 3, 2025.
In the charge sheet, the federal government accused Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of knowingly making damaging imputations that could harm the reputations of both Akpabio and Bello — an act it said is in violation of Section 391 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 392.
Among the prosecution’s witnesses are Senate President Akpabio and ex-Governor Bello, named as nominal complainants while other witnesses include police investigators Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and one Sandra Duru.
The charges followed a controversial letter Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, accusing the police of bias in handling her petitions against the Senate President.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s escape from detention in prison could be seen as a first step in her quest for personal justification.
