THE Federal High Court on Monday, June 16, rejected an application by the Federal Government (FG) to issue a bench warrant against the suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The government is prosecuting Akpoti-Uduaghan in an alleged defamation case on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello.
At the trial on Monday, the prosecuting lawyer, D.D. Kasue informed the court that the case was for arraignment but that the defendant was not in court.
Kasue informed the court that although the defendant had been served through her counsel that morning, she was absent from the proceedings. The prosecutor argued that the absence indicated the defendant was aware of the case but chose not to attend. He then applied for a bench warrant due to her failure to appear and enter her plea.
Reacting, counsel to Akpoti-Uduaghan, Jacob Usman, a senior advocate, narrated to the court that he found the prosecution’s application weird and uncourteous.
Usman informed the court that upon learning of the suit, he contacted the prosecutor to arrange for his client to receive the charge in her absence.
The counsel stated that he was served the charge at 9:15 am in court and questioned how the defendant could be aware of the matter when she hadn’t seen the charge.
“I find the application strange, and it should be dishonoured. If the defendant has not been served, she cannot be in court,” he said.
He urged the court to reject the application, calling it an abuse of the court process.
The judge, Musa Umar, questioned the prosecutor if he had served the charge on the defendant, to which he answered in the negative.
Umar argued that a bench warrant couldn’t be issued since the defendant hadn’t been properly served.
The court denied the bench warrant application but allowed substituted service through the defendant’s counsel.
The judge adjourned the matter till June 30 for further hearing.
The ICIR reported that the Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed criminal charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of making defamatory remarks during a live television broadcast and in a private telephone conversation targeting Akpabio and Bello.
According to the charge filed on May 16, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, with case number CR/297/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of making a statement during her appearance on Politics Today on Channels TV on April 3, 2025, in which she was said to have said Akpabio and Bello conspired to assassinate her.
The government also accused the female lawmaker of making defamatory statements during a telephone conversation on March 27, 2025.
Akpabio, Bello, and four others are named as key witnesses in the trial.
The ICIR reported that the case comes amid mixed feelings surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate earlier this year. Her suspension sparked widespread criticisms and allegations of political persecution.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of targeting her after she rejected his alleged sexual advances, claiming that her suspension was orchestrated to silence her.
She made the allegations after she refused to accept a new seating arrangement in the Senate Chamber, which led to Akpabio ordering the sergeant-at-arms to eject her from the chamber.
She is challenging her suspension at the Federal High Court, where the hearing has been scheduled for June 27.
A reporter with the ICIR
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