The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, located in Maitama, has approved bail for the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the amount of N50 million.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Chizoba Orji, the court dismissed the Federal Government’s request to detain the defendant, who faces a three-count charge, in prison custody until the case is resolved.
Justice Orji determined that there was no basis to deny bail, stating there was sufficient evidence that she is willing to face her trial.
In addition to the N50 million bail, the court ordered the defendant to provide one surety, who must be a reputable individual owning landed property in Abuja.
The court’s decision was grounded in section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The case was adjourned to September 23 for trial, with the Federal Government prosecuting the lawmaker for allegedly making a false claim that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello were behind a plot to assassinate her.
In the charge, marked CR/297/25, the Federal Government alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, the sole defendant, made false and defamatory statements during a live television appearance.
The charge specifically accused her of making “imputation, knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”
According to the charge, by making false imputations that damaged the reputation of others, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan committed an offence under section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, punishable under section 392 of the same law.
Providing details of the offence in count one, the Federal Government informed the court that the defendant committed the alleged crime on April 3 during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Witnesses listed in the case include Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello, named as nominal complainants.
Additional witnesses expected to testify include two police officers who investigated the matter, Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, as well as Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and Sandra Duru.
The charge, dated May 16, followed a letter Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, accusing the police of bias in investigating her petitions against the Senate President.
It is noteworthy that the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 27 to rule on the legality of the six-month suspension imposed on the defendant by the Senate.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan sought judicial intervention after being summoned to appear before the Senate’s disciplinary committee following a confrontation with the Senate President during a plenary session on February 20.
While objecting to an alleged arbitrary change in her seating position, she repeatedly raised a point of order to speak, despite being overruled by the Senate President.
Annoyed by her actions, the Senate President referred her case to the Ethics Committee. In a television interview on February 28, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed that her difficulties in the Senate began after she rejected unwanted advances from Senate President Akpabio.
In an ex-parte application filed with the court, she requested an order to declare any actions taken by the Senate Committee during her lawsuit, including her suspension, as “null, void, and of no effect.”
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