The Federal Government has filed a six-count charge against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, for alleged violations of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
This development marks one of the most high-profile applications of the amended law aimed at combating digital misinformation and safeguarding reputational integrity in public discourse.
The charges, lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja, stem from statements allegedly made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan between April 1 and 14, 2025, accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to assassinate her.
In a speech delivered in Ihima, Kogi State, and a subsequent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, she reportedly alleged:
> “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… 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.”
> “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”
According to federal prosecutors, the senator’s claims were deliberately false, widely circulated across digital platforms, and intended to provoke public unrest and damage the reputations of the individuals named. The government maintains that her actions contravened Section 24(2)(c) of the amended Cybercrimes Act, which criminalizes the intentional dissemination of false information likely to incite public disorder or injure reputations.
The 2024 amendment, enacted under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, enhances punitive measures against digital defamation and malicious content in the online space.
The charges against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan are as follows:
Counts 1 & 3: Criminal defamation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio
Counts 2 & 4: Criminal defamation against former Governor Yahaya Bello
Counts 5 & 6: Knowingly spreading false information to incite public disorder
The prosecution has emphasized that unchecked dissemination of such allegations could erode public trust in democratic institutions and destabilize the political landscape.
