The Federal Government has formally withdrawn the criminal defamation charges filed against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
A notice of discontinuance, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, brought an end to the trial that had attracted national attention. The document was signed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN.
Titled “Notice of Discontinuance of Proceedings in Charge Number FHC/ABJ/CR.195/2025,” the filing was made pursuant to Sections 108 (1), (2), and (5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
The notice simply stated that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation intends to discontinue proceedings in the matter.
Following the filing, Justice Umar Garba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, before whom the Senator is standing trial, is expected to formally strike out or dismiss the charges on the next adjourned date after the court resumes from its Christmas vacation.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on June 3, 2025, over alleged defamatory statements made during a television interview. The prosecution had accused her of implicating Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in an alleged plot to assassinate her.
The charges were brought under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990. At her arraignment, the Senator pleaded not guilty and was granted bail on self-recognisance by the court.
With the Federal Government’s decision to discontinue the case, the legal battle is now set to come to a formal end.
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