The Federal Government, on Monday, arraigned Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Kogi Central Senatorial District , before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a fresh six-count charge.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagha who is
currently on a six – month suspension from Senate was in the charge marked: CR/297/25, alleged to have made false assassination claim.
The defendant was said to have made an allegation that some politicians opposed to her were plotting to assassinate her.
According to FG, the lawmaker committed the alleged crime when she addressed her supporters in Kogi state and on April 3, during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
She was specifically accused of naming the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and a former governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as participants in the meeting where the plot to eliminate her was hatched.
FG told the court that the defendant insisted that both Akpabio and Bello agreed that she should be eliminated in Kogi state under circumstances that would appear as a mob action.
She was accused of causing the false allegation to be transmitted, knowing it would harm the reputation of both Senator Akpabio and ex-governor Bello, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.
Meanwhile, the defendant, who was accompanied to the court by her husband, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to her before trial Court Justice Muhammed Umar.
The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, told the court that he did not file any process to challenge her release on bail.
The DPPF, however, urged the court to exercise its discretion and impose conditions that would guarantee the presence of the defendant to face her trial.
On his part, counsel to the defendant, Prof. Roland Otaru, SAN, told the court that he filed a bail application on June 20.
He assured the court that the defendant is not a flight risk and would be available for her trial, Prof. Otaru, SAN, drew attention of the court to the fact that she is representing a constituency comprising of five Local Government Areas, LGAs.
More so, the lawyer drew attention of the judge to the fact that an FCT High Court had earlier granted the defendant bail over a similar charge, adding that she is a senior member of the legal profession.
After he had listened to both sides, Justice Umar held that he was minded to grant the defendant bail on self-recognition.
The trial Judge said it was not in dispute that the defendant is a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding that the charge against her contained bailable offences.
He subsequently adjourned the case till September 22 for hearing.
It will be recalled that a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory at Maitama had on June 19, also granted the lawmaker bail to the tune of N50million with one surety that is a person of integrity that owns a landed property in Abuja.
The court, in the ruling that was delivered by Justice Chizoba Orji, said its decision to release the defendant on bail was anchored on section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.
That case has been adjourned to September 23 for commencement of full-blown hearing..