By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the trial of the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, till September 22, 2025.
This follows the court’s decision to grant the lawmaker bail on the strength of her position as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a senior member of the bar describing it as “Self-Recognition”.
Justice Mohammed Umar acceded to the request of the Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Professor Roland Otaru (SAN) who had demanded that its client be granted bail on Self-recognition.
The team noted that there was no counter-affidavit from the prosecution, challenging the bail application.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge brought against her in a suit instituted by the Federal Government.
The six-count charge bordered on cybercrime, alleging that the the senator made false and damaging statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi State’s former governor, Yahaya Bello.
According to the FG’s charge, the lawmaker was alleged to have said, “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done in Kogi, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.”
According to reports, this statement was reiterated by the lawmaker during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today, saying, “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”
The government claimed that these statements, widely disseminated through digital platforms, were knowingly false and intended to incite unrest, citing “Section 24(2)(c)” of the Cybercrimes Act to buttress its allegation.
