Justice Chizoba Orji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, has granted bail of N50 million to the suspended senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. She was arraigned on a three-count charge of defamation brought by the Federal Government. The senator pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

In her ruling, Justice Orji rejected the Federal Government’s application to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the determination of the case. The judge held that there was no reason to deny the defendant bail, noting that there was sufficient evidence of her willingness to face trial.

As part of the bail conditions, the court required the defendant to produce one surety, who must be a person of integrity and the owner of a landed property in Abuja. The court based its decision on section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

The judge adjourned the trial to September 23, 2025.

The lawmaker is being prosecuted for allegedly making a false claim that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, were behind a plot to assassinate her.

In the charge marked CR/297/25, the Federal Government alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, listed as the sole defendant, made the false and defamatory remarks while appearing as a guest on live television. It specifically accused her of making an “imputation, knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”

The charge further stated that by making such false imputations that tarnished the reputation of others, Akpoti-Uduaghan committed an offence under section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. The alleged offence is punishable under section 392 of the same law.