The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the Federal Government’s application for a bench warrant to arrest suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over alleged defamation involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The matter came up on Monday, with government prosecutors informing the court that the case was scheduled for arraignment. However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was absent.
The prosecution argued that the charges had been served on the senator’s lawyer, requesting the court to issue an arrest warrant against her. But the defence counsel opposed the move, stating that the charge sheet was only received that morning in court and that the senator herself was yet to be informed of the arraignment.
Justice Musa Umar, presiding over the case, inquired of the prosecution whether the charge had been personally served on the defendant. When they admitted it had not, the court ruled against the arrest request, noting that proper service procedures had not been followed.
The judge instead permitted the prosecution to serve the charge through Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer and adjourned the case to June 30 for arraignment.
The charges stem from alleged statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a live television appearance on April 3, where she reportedly accused Akpabio and Bello of being involved in a plot to assassinate her—claims that have since sparked legal action.
