Alleged defamation: Court rejects FG’s request for arrest warrant against Natasha

In a significant ruling on Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a request by the Federal Government seeking a bench warrant for the arrest of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.

Justice Muhammed Umar ruled that it was procedurally wrong to issue a bench warrant when the defendant had not been properly served with the court summons or the formal charges against her.

The decision came after FG’s counsel, David Kaswe, admitted in court that the charges were only served on Senator Natasha’s lawyer that same morning—right inside 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.