The Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over statements she made on national television alleging a plot to assassinate her.
The details of all the charges are still sketchy but one of them is linked to the allegations she made during a live broadcast on Channels Television's Politics Today, on April 3, 2025.
During the interview, she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to have her assassinated.
The charge sheet, obtained by SaharaReporters, shows the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the complainant in a case filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant.
The government accused the senator of "making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person," citing Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. The offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
During the interview, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan said: "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.
