A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has ordered Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay N1 billion in damages in a defamation case filed by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello.
The ruling was delivered by Justice A. S. Ibrahim in suit number HCL/16/2023, following comments the senator made during a live interview on The Morning Show on November 4, 2022.
In the interview, the court noted that the senator made statements describing the former governor as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “terror to the people of Kogi State,” remarks the court held were damaging to his reputation and not supported by evidence presented during the trial.
Justice Ibrahim ruled that the allegations were defamatory, stating that all issues raised in the suit were resolved in favour of the claimant. He further granted a perpetual injunction restraining the senator, her agents, and associates from making further defamatory remarks against Bello across media platforms including television and radio.
However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has rejected the judgment and confirmed her intention to appeal. In a statement issued in Abuja through her media aide, Mike Idoko, she said she would challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
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