Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Pierre Antoine
A High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has ordered Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, to pay N1 billion in damages to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in a defamation case.
The judgment was delivered by Justice A.S. Ibrahim on April 23, 2026, in suit number HCL/16/2023. The court held that Bello proved his case on the balance of probabilities.
The case centred on statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during an appearance on The Morning Show on Arise Television on November 4, 2022. According to the court, the remarks in which Bello was described as a “murderer,” “killer,” “perpetrator of evil acts,” and “a terror to the people of Kogi State” were defamatory and not justified.
Justice Ibrahim also granted a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan, her agents, associates, or privies from making further defamatory statements against Bello on television, radio, or other public platforms.
Court records indicate that the defence had challenged the jurisdiction of the Lokoja High Court, arguing that the matter amounted to an abuse of court process. However, the trial court dismissed the objection. That decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeal, which affirmed that the Kogi High Court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.
There was no immediate public reaction from Akpoti-Uduaghan following the ruling.
The judgment marks a significant legal development in the prolonged political rivalry between both figures, who have remained prominent actors in Kogi State politics in recent years.
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