LOKOJA, Nigeria – Former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has taken legal action against Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator for Kogi Central, over allegedly defamatory statements made against him.
The former governor filed a formal petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), demanding the senator be invited for questioning to substantiate her claims or face prosecution for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance, and spreading false information harmful to public peace.
In a letter signed by Bello’s solicitor, Mr. N.A. Abubakar Esq., and sent to the IGP on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, the petition demands that Akpoti-Uduaghan provide credible evidence to support her claims or face legal consequences.
“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law,” the lawyer’s petition read.
The accusations stem from a statement made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a public address at a political event in Okehi LGA of Kogi State on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
According to the senator, she alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had orchestrated a meeting with Yahaya Bello, during which they discussed plans to fund her recall and even suggested a plot to assassinate her.
Akpoti-Uduaghan further claimed that the killing was to be staged as an ethnic or mob violence to avoid suspicion.
Bello’s legal team called these allegations “false, reckless, and inciting,” categorizing them as serious criminal defamation.
The petition also highlighted how the senator’s public statements, widely circulated on social media, could incite ethnic and political discord, particularly among the people of Kogi Central and Ebiraland.
In addition to the police petition, Bello’s legal team, led by Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN, has also written to Akpoti-Uduaghan, demanding a formal retraction and public apology for the defamatory statements.
The letter includes a 14-day ultimatum for the senator to comply, threatening further legal action should she fail to retract her statements.
Bello’s lawyers have emphasized the need for swift legal action to prevent others from using political platforms to spread harmful falsehoods.
The petition states, “Failure to act on these egregious offenses will embolden others to weaponize political platforms for dangerous falsehoods and criminal misrepresentation.”
