The trial of embattled Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over alleged cybercrime charges was, on Monday, stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The trial could not proceed as scheduled due to an objection raised by the suspended senator’s lawyer, Mr Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) recalls that Justice Mohammed Umar had, on June 30, fixed Monday, Sept. 22, to begin hearing of the trial shortly after admitting the defendant to bail.
The Federal Government had arraigned the Kogi Central senator on a six-count charge bordering on the alleged transmission of false and injurious information intended to malign the person of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi Governor, Mr Yahaya Bello.
The six-count charge was filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr Mohammed Abubakar.
When the case was called on Monday, prosecuting counsel, Mr David Kaswe, reminded the court that the business of the day was for the prosecution to open its case.
He informed the court that the prosecution was ready and had its first witness in court.
The prosecution had already mounted a television screen inside the courtroom in preparation for the proceedings.
However, the defence counsel, Mr West-Idahosa (SAN), raised concerns over the possibility of proceeding with the day’s business due to a motion, (Notice of Preliminary Objection) filed by the defendant, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
According to the senior lawyer, the objection is not about the nature of the charge, but about the alleged abuse of the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
In addition, West-Idahosa complained about not being served with copies of the statements of the prosecution witnesses.
In response, the prosecution urged the court to proceed with the planned trial, saying that it would respond to the issue of jurisdiction.
The court, however, held that it would be proper to determine the objection raised by the defence before taking any further steps in the matter.
Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until Oct. 20 for hearing of the objection.
In the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, and brought under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, Akpoti-Uduaghan is alleged to have transmitted false and injurious information via electronic means with the intention to malign, incite, and endanger lives and breach public order.
The senator is, among others, alleged to have, while addressing a gathering on April 4, in Ihima, Kogi said that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio instructed ex-governor Yahaya Bello to have her killed in Kogi.
She was also alleged to have, in a television interview, repeated similar claims, to the effect that the senate president and the former governor of Kogi plotted to kill her in her state.
One of the counts read:
“That on or about the 1st day of April 2025, while addressing a crowd of people at Ihima Community, Kogi , you , Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, intentionally caused the following communication to be transmitted via a computer system and network, to wit: ‘…and Akpabio told Yahaya Bello, I am saying, standing by what I have said.
“He told him 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 here.
” And you, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan knew this contained a threat that could harm the reputation of Sen. Godswill Akpabio, GCON, as the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024 and punishable under the same Act.”(NAN)