The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has ordered the Tinubu-led administration to drop its criminal defamation lawsuit against the Senator representing Kogi-Central, Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was accused of making defamatory statements against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is facing charges at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, in Abuja.

She was suspended in March for six months following allegations of violating Senate rules. She had also accused Akpabio and the former Governor of Kogi State of attempting to kill her.

The battle between the suspended senator and Akpabio intensified with the Federal Government arraigning her in court on Thursday.

SERAP described this as a mockery of justice and a mockery of justice, noting that no individual should ever be targeted or charged simply for peacefully exercising their human rights.

In a statement released by the CSO on Thursday, it ordered authorities to drop the lawsuit against the suspended senator.

“Authorities must immediately drop the bogus criminal defamation charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and stop targeting citizens simply for the peaceful exercise of their human rights,” the statement read in part.

Citing the Nigerian Constitution, SERAP added that criminal laws are inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution.

“Criminal defamation laws and lawsuits are inconsistent and incompatible with section 39 of the Nigerian Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international international obligations to protect freedom of expression, including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

“The National Assembly must urgently decriminalize defamation in Nigeria.”

On Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan was granted bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety who must be a person of reasonable integrity resident in F.C.T Abuja and owns a landed property within the Abuja Municipal Area Council.