By Adesina Soyooye
A defiant Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has rejected the judgement of a Lokoja High Court in a libel and defamation case instituted against her by a former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
The Honourable Justice A. S. Ibrahim of a Lokoja High Court had, on Friday, April 24, 2026, delivered judgement in suit number “HCL/16/2023 instituted against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan by Bello for alleged defamation in an interview she granted to Arise Television on November 4, 2022.
In the judgement, the Court awarded the sum of N1billion against Akpoti-Uduaghan in favour of Bello.
The Court held that: “The interview granted by the defendant on 4/11/2022 on Arise TV programme of ‘The Morning Show’ is defamatory to the claimant’s character and reputation.
“The said interview of 4/11/2022 in which the defendant described the the claimant as a murderer, killer, perpetrator of evil acts, and a terror to the people of Kogi State was without justification.
Aside from restraining the defendant from further issuance of the defamatory statements against the claimant on TV or Radio Stations.
The Judge, therefore, awarded the sum of one billion Naira as damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
But in a defiant, swift response, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan dismissed the award of N1bn as waste of time and said it was procured.
According to her, she will not pay a kobo to Yahaya Bello because he does not deserve it. Instead, in that response, she added a letter for the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where she reminded them of Bello’s case before the Commission. She said in addition to the case, Bello was now trying to get hold of her one billion Naira, and assured that she will not pay “shishi”.
She wrote on her Facebook page: “Dear Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, kindly hurry up. Do you know he procured a Kogi State High Court judgment of ₦1 billion against me yesterday? Can you imagine him thinking I would pay so he can add to the stolen monies he would refund? Yeye… shi shi he no go see.”
At the time of filing this report, it is not known if she plans to appeal the judgement but many saw her response as disrespectful to the Judiciary.
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