After months of legal wrangling, the dispute involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has officially ended, with the Federal Government withdrawing all criminal defamation and cyberbullying charges previously filed against her.
Court documents show that the withdrawal was communicated through a Notice of Discontinuance dated December 12, 2025, effectively ending the case against the Kogi Central senator.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had been facing trial over comments made during a televised interview where she alleged that Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello were involved in a plot to assassinate her. Following the broadcast, petitions were reportedly submitted by the two political figures, leading to the filing of criminal defamation and cyberbullying charges.
The senator had earlier stated that she formally wrote to the Inspector-General of Police to report threats to her life. However, instead of investigating the petition, law enforcement authorities arraigned her, accusing her of making defamatory statements and engaging in online harassment.
Before the withdrawal, the prosecution had lined up several high-profile witnesses, including Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo and former presidential aide Reno Omokri.
The development follows Senate President Akpabio’s public announcement that he had instructed his lawyers to withdraw all defamation suits he filed against several individuals, including Akpoti-Uduaghan. He made the disclosure during a New Year Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, saying a sermon by the parish priest inspired him to pursue reconciliation.
