FG Arraigns Suspended Kogi Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Fresh Six-Count Charge

The Federal Government has arraigned suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, before the Federal High Court on a fresh six-count criminal charge.
The embattled senator, who was previously suspended by the Senate for six months, is accused of making false claims regarding an alleged assassination plot. The charge, marked CR/297/25, alleges that she falsely claimed certain political figures were plotting to kill her.
According to the prosecution, the allegations were made during a speech to her supporters in Kogi State and on a live broadcast of Politics Today on Channels Television on April 3. Specifically, the Federal Government claims she named Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello as being present at a meeting where the alleged plot to assassinate her was discussed.
The charge states that she accused both Akpabio and Bello of agreeing that she should be eliminated in a manner that would appear as mob violence. The government contends that the senator made these allegations knowing they would damage the reputations of both men, thereby committing an offence under Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrime Act.
When the charges were read before Justice Muhammed Umar, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan pleaded not guilty.
The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, informed the court that he did not oppose her bail but urged the court to impose conditions to ensure her presence throughout the trial.
In response, her counsel, Prof. Roland Otaru, SAN, noted that he had filed a bail application on June 20. He assured the court that the senator is not a flight risk and emphasized that she represents a constituency consisting of five Local Government Areas (LGAs). He also highlighted that she had previously been granted bail by an Abuja High Court over a similar charge and is a senior member of the legal profession.
After hearing both parties, Justice Umar granted the senator bail on self-recognition, noting that she is a sitting member of the National Assembly and that the offences are bailable. The judge then adjourned the case to September 22 for further hearing.