The Federal Government has commenced prosecution of Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, under Nigeria’s amended Cybercrimes Act.
Natasha faces six criminal charges for allegedly making false and damaging statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Yahaya Bello.
The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, represents the most prominent test of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, since its enactment.
Between April 1 and 14, 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan reportedly claimed in public speeches and a live television interview that Akpabio and Bello conspired to assassinate her.
In a speech delivered in Ihima, Kogi State, she allegedly stated:
“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done here, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.”
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Days later, during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today, she reiterated the allegations, asserting: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”
The Federal Government contends that these statements, widely disseminated through digital platforms, were knowingly false and intended to incite unrest. Prosecutors argue that the remarks violate “Section 24(2)(c)” of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalizes the intentional spread of false information to damage reputations or provoke public disorder.
The charges against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan include:
Defamation against Senate President Akpabio (Counts 1 & 3)
Defamation against former Governor Yahaya Bello (Counts 2 & 4)
Knowingly spreading falsehoods to incite public disorder (Counts 5 & 6)
The prosecution asserts that the senator’s statements, if unchecked, could undermine trust in government institutions and escalate political tensions.
