A federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama has granted bail in the sum of N50 million to senator representing Kogi central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a ruling given on Thursday, presiding judge, Chizoba Orji kicked out the application by the federal government to remand the Akpoti-Uduaghan in prison custody pending trial.
The judge stated that there was no justification to deny Akpoti-Uduaghan bail, noting that there was “sufficient evidence” before the court showing her willingness to face trial.
As part of the bail conditions, the court ordered that the senator must produce one surety, who must be a “person of integrity” and owner of a landed property within Abuja.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to September 23 for commencement of trial.
Natasha showed up in court on Thursday in the company of her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan. Also present were Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of education; Aisha Yesufu, human rights activist; and a number of supporters.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on criminal defamation, with the federal government as the complainant. The charges were filed on May 16, 2025, in suit number CR/297/25.
The case lists Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, and former Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi state, as nominal complainants.
According to the charge, the lawmaker was accused of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person,” an offence under section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under section 392.
Akpoti-Uduaghan pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In one of the counts, the Kogi senator was alleged to have claimed in a television interview that Akpabio and Bello plotted to assassinate her.
