The planned commencement of trial in the cybercrime charge brought against suspended Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, before a Federal High Court in Abuja was stalled on Monday owing to an objection raised by the defendant.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on June 30 on a six-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar and granted bail, following which Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned till September 22 for the commencement of trial.
When the case was called on Monday, prosecuting lawyer, David Kaswe told the court that the business of the day was for the prosecution to open its case by calling its first witness.
Kaswe, who had a television screen mounted in the courtroom preparatory to the commencement of proceedings, told the court that the prosecution has a witness in court and was ready to proceed.
Responding, defence lawyer, Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, expressed concern about the possibility of the prosecution opening its case.
West-Idahosa said his client has filed a notice of preliminary objection to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
He said the objection is not to the nature of the charge, but the alleged abuse of the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.
The defence lawyer also complained about not being served with copies of the statements of the prosecution witnesses.
Although Kaswe argued strenuously that the objection filed by the defendant should not be allowed to stall the court’s business for the day, Justice Umar insisted that the prosecution must first respond to the objection.
The judge said he intends to first determine the objection raised by the defence before taking any further steps in the case.
He subsequently fixed October 20, 2025, for the hearing of the objection.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is, in the charge, marked – FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025 brought under the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, etc (Amendment) Act 2024 – alleged to have transmitted false and injurious information via electronic means with the intention to malign, incite, and endanger lives and breach public order.
Among the particulars of the charge are claims that Akpoti-Uduaghan, while addressing a gathering on April 4th 2025 in Ihima, Kogi State, alleged that Akpabio instructed ex-governor Yahaya Bello to have her killed in Kogi State.
She was also alleged to have, in a television interview, repeated similar claims, to the effect that the Senate President and the former Governor of Kogi State plotted to kill her in her state.
Count one of the charge read: “That on or about the 1st day of April 2025, while addressing a crowd of people at Ihima Community, Kogi State, you — Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan — intentionally caused the following communication to be transmitted via a computer system and network, to wit: ‘…and Akpabio told Yahaya Bello, I am saying, standing by what I have said. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done here, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me here…’ And you, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan knew this contained a threat that could harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, as the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024 and punishable under the same Act.”
Count Two: “That on or about the 1st day of April 2025, while addressing a crowd of people at Ihima Community, Kogi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, you — Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan — intentionally caused the following communication to be transmitted via a computer system and network, to wit: ‘…and Akpabio told Yahaya Bello, I am saying, standing by what I have said. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done here, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me here…’ And you, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, knew this contained a threat that could harm the reputation of Yahaya Adoza Bello, a former Governor of Kogi State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024 and punishable under the same section of the Act.”
