The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted bail to the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on self-recognisance. The senator was arraigned on a six-count charge relating to alleged cybercrime.
Upon the reading of the charges, Akpoti-Uduaghan pleaded not guilty to all counts. The allegations stem from statements she allegedly made about Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
According to the charge sheet, the senator claimed that, “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done in Kogi, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.” The prosecution stated that she repeated this allegation during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, saying, “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan Granted Bail as FG Cites Cybercrime Charges Over Alleged False Statements
The Federal Government maintained that the comments, disseminated widely across digital platforms, were knowingly false and designed to incite public unrest. The prosecution argued that the statements violated Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the intentional spread of false information intended to damage reputations or provoke public disorder.
While moving for bail, the senator’s legal team, led by Professor Roland Otaru (SAN), urged the court to grant bail on self-recognisance, citing her status as a sitting senator and a senior member of the legal profession. He noted that the prosecution had not filed any counter-affidavit opposing the bail application.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Mohammed Umar granted the request and admitted Akpoti-Uduaghan to bail on self-recognisance. The case was adjourned to September 22 for the commencement of trial.
