Court Fixes June 19 for Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Arraignment Amid Blackmail Scandal
The Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has fixed Thursday, June 19, for the arraignment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in a defamation case filed by the Federal Government on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Originally scheduled for June 3, the case was postponed due to procedural delays. A formal reminder dated June 5 and signed by court registrar Hiradi Dada confirmed that all parties have been summoned to appear for the new hearing date.
The charge, widely condemned by civil society groups and political analysts as a politically motivated smear campaign, is built around contentious claims pushed by Akpabio and Bello. Among the key witnesses is Ms. Sandra Duru—an individual who has long faced criminal allegations, including an outstanding 2017 arrest warrant linked to a ₦10 million fraud case and threats to life. Critics have decried her role in the trial as a major blow to the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system.
The controversy deepened following the revelation by Ken Okolugbo, a media aide to Akpabio, who confessed in a now-deleted social media post that he was part of a conspiracy to blackmail Senator Natasha. Okolugbo admitted to holding secret meetings in London with Duru and others to fabricate damaging content against the senator. His later attempt to recant the confession by claiming his account was hacked has been widely dismissed as implausible.
Further fueling allegations of abuse of state power, a media activist, Obinna Oparaku Akuwudike, was arrested in a midnight raid in Owerri on orders from the Inspector General of Police. Obinna had previously revealed in an interview with journalist Adeola Fayehun that he received ₦2.5 million from Duru to produce false narratives targeting Senator Natasha and implicating Akpabio in the plot. His arrest has been interpreted by rights groups as a tactic to intimidate whistleblowers and protect powerful political interests.
As the court date approaches, the case has come to symbolize what many perceive as a judicial witch-hunt against a vocal female senator. Senator Natasha has consistently denied all allegations and insists that the case is nothing more than an orchestrated attempt to silence her.
Meanwhile, public pressure continues to mount on the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police to explain why Duru—despite her fugitive status—is being protected by the state and positioned as a central witness in a case targeting an elected official.
All eyes now turn to June 19, with growing anticipation over whether the Nigerian judiciary will uphold justice or succumb to what critics call political persecution disguised as prosecution.
