FG withdraws criminal defamation case against Natasha

The Federal Government has withdrawn the criminal defamation and cyberbullying charges filed against the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, ending a case that generated widespread public debate and political tension

Confirmation of the withdrawal came on Sunday through a phone conversation with Eseme Eyiboh, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President. He stated that the discontinuance was in line with an earlier directive issued by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The charges stemmed from petitions submitted by Akpabio and former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello, following comments Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly made during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where she was said to have claimed there were plans to kill her.

Explaining the decision, Eyiboh said, “When the Senate President made the decision to withdraw all defamation cases in court, he didn’t say ‘except Natasha’; he said all cases.”

Akpabio had earlier disclosed on Thursday that he instructed his legal team to discontinue all defamation-related suits he filed against individuals, noting that he was persuaded by advice received from a priest during a New Year Mass.

Subsequently, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation formally moved to terminate the case by filing a Notice of Discontinuance dated December 12, 2025, before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The notice cited Sections 108(1), 108(2)(a) and 108(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, along with the court’s inherent powers.

The document, filed in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was signed by officials of the Department of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the Attorney-General and certified by the court. It was entered in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025.

“The Office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation intends to discontinue proceedings in this matter,” the notice stated.

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