A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama has dismissed a high-profile defamation suit brought by the Federal Government against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, ending a case that had garnered significant public attention and raised debates about freedom of expression and political accountability.
Justice Chizoba Orji of the High Court struck out the criminal charges on Thursday, January 15, 2026, following the prosecution’s application to discontinue the matter.
The Federal Government, represented by prosecuting counsel Aderonke Imana, informed the court of its intention to discontinue the suit, prompting Defence Counsel Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, to urge the court to formally strike out the matter.
The prosecution did not oppose the defence’s application. Consequently, Justice Orji struck out the case, discharged the sureties who had guaranteed the senator’s bail, and ordered that all documents belonging to the senator and her sureties be returned to them.
The defamation charges stemmed from comments Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was alleged to have made during a televised interview. The Federal Government had accused her of making “harmful imputations” that could damage the reputations of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, in a suit filed in May 2025 under the charge number CR/297/25.
In the three-count charge, she was said to have alleged that the Senate President and the former governor plotted to have her killed, claims the prosecution framed as defamatory.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charges were read to her earlier in the case.
The striking out of the case followed formal steps by the Federal Government to withdraw the prosecution, a move observers say reflects prosecutorial discretion and the government’s reassessment of the matter.
The courtroom development also rekindles broader conversations in legal and civic circles about the use of criminal defamation charges in political disputes, particularly where public figures are involved in contentious exchanges with powerful government actors.
While the court’s ruling effectively ends the federal prosecution, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and her legal team have welcomed the outcome, with supporters describing the decision as vindication and affirmation of constitutional rights to free speech.
As matters relating to civil liberties and political expression continue to animate public debate, the striking out of this case is likely to influence discussions on the application of defamation laws in Nigeria’s democratic process.
