Justice Chizoba Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted suspended senator, Natasha Akpoti-Udaughan in the sum of N50 million in a defamation suit brought against her.
The court also ordered that she must produce a surety in like sum.
The surety as ordered by the court must be a reside and own a landed property in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Senator Natasha was on Thursday docked for allegedly defaming the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello.
She is facing a three-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The charge, marked CR/297/25, accuses Akpoti-Uduaghan of making defamatory statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The Federal Government says she claimed that Bello had conspired with Akpabio to orchestrate her assassination.
The alleged defamatory statements were made during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025, and in a telephone conversation with Sandra C. Duru on March 27, 2025.
When the charges were read, she pleaded not guilty to all of them.
The Federal Government argues that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan deliberately made the claims being fully aware that they could harm the reputation of the individuals involved.
Upon her denial of the allegations, the Federal Government lawyer, David Kaswe, asked Justice Chizoba Orji to remand her in prison till the determination of the charge.
However, Natasha’s lawyer, Professor Roland Otaru, SAN, sought and got permission to move bail application for the defendant on the ground that it was mature for hearing, having already been served on the prosecution.
Senate President Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, and four others have been listed as witnesses in the suit.
