The Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in connection with statements she made on national television alleging a plot to assassinate her. The charges were filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
While specific details of all charges remain limited, one charge is directly linked to allegations made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan during an appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on April 3, 2025. During the live broadcast, she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of conspiring to have her assassinated.
The charge sheet, obtained by SaharaReporters, names the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the sole defendant.
The government alleges that the senator engaged in “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.” This charge cites Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, with the offense punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
During the Channels Television interview, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan stated: “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. Just ask the Senate President why did he withdraw my security if not to make me vulnerable to attacks. Mind you, of all the senators, about 109, we all have different stories. I have been high profiled, vulnerable individual because of the nature of politics I have had, I have experienced since the year 2018. Very violent and dangerous. And I always have my security. So stripping me of my security because I am suspended illegally, actually it just positions me before attacks.”
This is not the first instance of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan raising concerns about threats to her life, which she has previously linked to influential figures in Nigerian politics.
Speaking at a homecoming rally in Kogi State weeks prior to the television interview, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed: “The Senate President first reached out to Governor Ododo to recall me. But Ododo declined, saying the people love me too much. So he turned to Yahaya Bello. But Akpabio was not satisfied; he then called for Yahaya Bello. It was Senator Asuquo who drove Yahaya Bello to the Hiltons. I was informed. The meeting was in two folds; he told him to commence my recall. He was going to fund it. Of course, money changed hands that day. The second thing was that he should kill me.”
The senator further alleged strategic directives from Akpabio, stating: “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello to kill me. Akpabio told him to make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja. It should be done here. So it will seem as if the people killed me here. I didn’t make that public, but we did notify the police about it.”
These allegations have surfaced amidst broader controversies within the Nigerian Senate, including unresolved claims of sexual harassment, security intimidation, and the suppression of dissenting voices. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment, followed by her six-month suspension from the Senate, which was officially attributed to “misconduct.”
