ABUJA, Nigeria — Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has accused the federal government of selective justice after a criminal defamation suit was filed against her, while a series of petitions she submitted remain unacknowledged.
The charge, filed before a Federal Capital Territory High Court on May 16, 2025, accuses the senator of making statements “knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”
The charge, marked CR/297/25, is grounded in section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and is punishable under section 392 of the same code.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Uju Nwoduwu, criticised the development in a statement released Tuesday, May 27, 2025, alleging a double standard in how the justice system is applied.
“Between March and May 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted twelve petitions covering cyberstalking, threats to life, defamation, and even an assassination plot,” the statement read.
“These petitions have neither been acknowledged nor acted upon by the Nigeria Police Force or any relevant security agency.”
The legal team expressed dismay that while the senator’s complaints have gone unaddressed, counter-allegations from some of the same individuals named in her petitions have been acted upon swiftly.
“This selective response raises deep concerns about biased enforcement of justice,” the statement added.
Among those mentioned in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s earlier petitions are Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Her lawyers allege that some of the complaints include detailed accounts of the “abduction and attempted assassination of a protocol officer,” and other serious threats tied to politically connected individuals.
The statement confirmed that Akpoti-Uduaghan has received formal notice of the charges filed against her and is currently out of the country for personal engagements.
“She remains fully committed to due process,” the legal team said.
They also thanked members of the public who have spoken out against what they described as “an extremely curious criminal charge,” and expressed hope that “injustices against her shall not be sustained.”
