Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday petitioned the Inspector General of Police over alleged defamatory statements made against him by the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The petition, signed by Bello’s solicitor, Mr. N.A. Abubakar, followed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claim that the former governor and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, were allegedly plotting to assassinate her—a statement that has since drawn widespread rebuttals.
But in an interview with The PUNCH, Natasha, through her lawyer,Victor Giwa, waved off Bello’s petition, insisting she had enough evidence to back her claims.
“They should calm down and allow the police to do their job. There is already a petition to that effect with the IGP,” Giwa stated. “To show that it wasn’t a mere allegation, Natasha has enough evidence to back up her point.”
Natasha had, during a recent constituency visit to Okehi, alleged that Akpabio sought Bello’s help to “assassinate her in Kogi State rather than in Abuja.”
The Kogi State Government promptly dismissed the claim as unfounded and inciting.
In his petition, Bello urged the police to invite Akpoti-Uduaghan for questioning and to compel her to produce credible evidence to back her claims.
“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance, and spreading false information injurious to public peace,” the petition read.
Bello’s legal team described Natasha’s statements as “false, reckless, and inciting,” contending that they amount to criminal defamation and incitement under Nigerian law.
A second letter from Bello’s other counsel, Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN & Co, further demanded a public retraction and apology for the statements published in two national dailies.
“Our client’s attention has been drawn to a most disturbing, damaging and criminally defamatory statement made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan during her public address at a political event tagged ‘Homecoming Rally’ on April 1, 2025, in Okehi LGA,” the letter read.
Citing Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 and Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code, Bello’s lawyer, Abubakar, argued that the senator’s online dissemination of the allegations further aggravated the harm to his reputation.
“By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator in a purported murder plot, Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has gravely damaged our client’s reputation, misled the public, and attempted to incite ethnic and political distrust,” he said.
Bello’s team warned that failure to act would set a dangerous precedent, potentially encouraging others to exploit political platforms to spread misinformation and incite unrest.(Punch)
