By Attah Ede
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday granted bail to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udauaghan on self-recognisance.
Akpoti-Udauaghan, is the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
She was suspended by the senate few months ago, following the controversy that trailed her alleged violation of Senate rules after which she made falling allegations against the president of the senate, Godswill Akpabio.
The female legislator is facing a six-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.
However, as soon as the charges were read to her, she pleaded not guilty to all.
She was accused of making false and damaging statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Kogi State’s former governor, Yahaya Bello.
Akpoti-Udauaghan 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”.
Days later, during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today, she insisted on the allegations, stating: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”
The Federal Government noted that these statements, widely disseminated through digital platforms, were knowingly false and intended to incite unrest.
It further alluded that the remarks violate “Section 24(2)(c)” of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the intentional spread of false information to damage reputations or provoke public disorder.
While applying for bail, Akpoti-Udauaghan’s legal team, led by Professor Roland Otaru (SAN), demanded that she be granted bail on self-recognition being a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a senior member of the bar.
He added that there is no counter-affidavit from the prosecution, challenging the bail application.
Justice Mohammed Umar admitted to grant the request of the defence counsel and granted the senator bail on self-recognisance and adjourned the case to September 22, 2025 for of trial.
