
Keep up with the latest news Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, was present at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama on Thursday ahead of the scheduled court appearance of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.
Ezekwesili was accompanied by prominent civil rights advocate Aisha Yesufu and other human rights defenders as they arrived at the courtroom.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is expected to enter her plea before Justice Chizoba Orji, who is presiding over the case.
She arrived at the court at approximately 10:27 a.m., accompanied by her legal team and husband. The court premises were under heightened security, with armed personnel deployed throughout the area.
Court officials had earlier informed those in attendance that proceedings would begin at 11 a.m.
The senator is being prosecuted by the Federal Government, which has accused her of making untrue and defamatory statements. Specifically, she is alleged to have falsely implicated Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in an alleged plot to assassinate her.
The allegations are detailed in a three-count charge, numbered CR/297/25, which claims that the lawmaker made the controversial remarks during a live appearance on Channels Television.
According to the government, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s comments amounted to “imputation, knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person,” which is an offence under Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. The charge also references Section 392 as the basis for punishment if found guilty.
The prosecution alleged that she made the statements on April 3 during Politics Today, a live political show on Channels Television, where she claimed certain political actors were involved in a plot against her life.
For further information on sport secret and greatest sport icon click here
The list of witnesses prepared by the prosecution includes Senate President Akpabio and Yahaya Bello, both of whom are identified as complainants. Additional witnesses include police officers Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, and Sandra Duru.
The charges came shortly after the senator submitted a petition to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, where she alleged bias on the part of the police in handling her complaint against the Senate President.
Separately, the Federal High Court in Abuja is set to rule on June 27 on the legality of the six-month suspension imposed on the senator by the Senate.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan took legal action after being summoned by the Senate Ethics Committee, following a confrontation with the Senate President during a plenary session on February 20. The dispute stemmed from her repeated calls for recognition during the session, which led to her being overruled multiple times.
Following this, the Senate President referred her to the committee for disciplinary action.
In a television interview aired on February 28, she alleged that her troubles in the Senate began after she turned down “unwanted advances” from Senate President Akpabio.
Through an ex parte motion, she asked the court to nullify any actions taken by the Senate or its committees during the period her legal challenge was pending, including the enforcement of her suspension.
Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it.
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.