BREAKING: Senator Natasha’s Defamation Trial Halted As JUSUN Strike Grounds Courts Nationwide
Published on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 1:19 PM
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
The high-profile defamation case involving suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has hit a roadblock as Nigeria’s judiciary shuts down in response to the nationwide strike launched by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
Akpoti-Uduaghan was expected to appear before an FCT High Court on Tuesday, but proceedings were abruptly stalled by the industrial action that began Monday.
Her lead counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) West Idahosa, confirmed the delay, stressing that the senator remains fully compliant with the law.
“As a law-abiding citizen, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan will continue to adhere to all court directives,” Idahosa said.
The embattled lawmaker is facing criminal charges filed by the Federal Government on May 16, 2025, accusing her of making defamatory claims against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Filed under suit number CR/297/25, the charges stem from explosive allegations made during a live appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today on April 3, where she claimed:
“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night — to eliminate me… he then emphasised that I should be killed in Kogi.”
The prosecution also alleges that the senator made further damning claims in a private call with Dr. Sandra Duru, linking Akpabio to organ harvesting involving the late Iniubong Umoren—allegedly for the benefit of his ailing wife.
Akpabio, Yahaya Bello, and four unnamed individuals are listed as key witnesses in the anticipated legal showdown.
With courts locked nationwide and no new date announced, the trial now hangs in suspense amid mounting political tension and public scrutiny.
