The Nigerian government has filed defamation charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to assassinate her.
Akpoti-Uduaghan made the allegations during a televised interview in April, claiming there were “discussions” between the two men to “eliminate” her. Both Akpabio and Bello deny the claims.
The attorney general submitted the charges to the High Court, citing statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan on Channels TV. The government argues the remarks could damage the reputations of the accused officials.
The senator, one of only four women in Nigeria’s 109-seat Senate, has not yet publicly responded to the charges. A court date has not been set.
The legal action comes amid a wider controversy. Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate for six months without pay in February, shortly after she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment — a charge he denies. The Senate’s ethics committee said she was suspended for “unruly and disruptive” conduct during debates over her allegations.
Akpoti-Uduaghan claims the punishment was politically motivated and says the Senate “operates like a cult.” In a BBC interview, she also expressed concern for her young child’s safety after her official security detail was withdrawn.
The case has stirred public debate over gender, accountability, and power dynamics in Nigeria’s male-dominated political landscape.
