Court rejects FG’s bid for arrest Warrant against Sen. Natasha Akpoti in defamation case

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the Federal Government’s application for a bench warrant against the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Justice Muhammed Umar gave the ruling on Monday, stating it was improper to issue an arrest order when the senator had not been officially served with the charge or a court hearing notice.

This followed the federal government’s counsel, David Kaswe, informing the court that the charge had only been served on her lawyer that morning in the courtroom.

However, the judge maintained that serving a legal counsel does not amount to personally notifying the defendant of the case.

Consequently, Justice Umar declined the prosecution’s request for a bench warrant but granted an application for substituted service, permitting the charges to be served through her lawyer, Johnson Usman.

The court also fixed June 30 for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s arraignment.

The Federal Government filed the criminal charge against the senator through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, accusing her of defaming Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

The charge alleged she made harmful statements during a live television programme on April 3, 2025, claiming there was a plot between the two leaders to have her killed in Kogi State and framing it as a local attack.

Additional allegations in the charge also claimed Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of involvement in a case involving a murdered girl, alleging the victim’s organs were used for the Senate President’s ailing wife, an accusation the government says was reckless and injurious to his reputation.

The Senate President, Yahaya Bello, and four others have been listed as witnesses in the case.