The legal fireworks between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Federal Government reachedq qa boiling point on Thursday, June 19, 2025, as a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama firmly rejected a bid to remand the senator in prison custody.
Justice Chizoba Orji, who presided over the hearing, dismissed the Federal Government’s application to detain Akpoti-Uduaghan, instead granting her bail in the sum of ₦50 million.
The court held that there was no compelling justification for incarceration, citing her willingness to face trial and the constitutional presumption of innocence.
The judge ruled that the senator must provide a surety of integrity who owns verifiable landed property within Abuja. The matter was adjourned to September 23, 2025, for full trial.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is being prosecuted over alleged false and defamatory remarks she made during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
The Federal Government alleges that her comments defamed Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello — a charge brought under Section 391 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 392.
The charge (CR/297/25) also stems from a controversial letter Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan addressed to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in which she accused the police of bias in their handling of her petitions against Akpabio.
Earlier in the day, the court premises had been transformed into a security fortress.
Over 200 heavily armed police officers were deployed to maintain law and order, anticipating potential unrest as tensions escalated over the senator’s arraignment.
By 8:00 a.m., rival camps had begun trooping into the court. Supporters of Yahaya Bello filled the gallery, while backers of Akpoti-Uduaghan, led by former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili and human rights activists, also made their presence felt.
The senator faced a three-count charge of defamation filed by the Attorney-General, with high-profile complainants including Akpabio and Bello. Prosecution witnesses listed in the case include Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong, police investigators Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba, and activist Sandra Duru.
While Thursday’s ruling spared Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan the prospect of immediate incarceration, it signaled the start of what promises to be a politically charged legal battle — one that could test the boundaries between free speech, political rivalry, and the limits of state power.