Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team has pushed back against the Federal Government’s recent criminal charges filed against her, calling them an act of selective justice.
Her counsel, Ms. Uju Nwoduwu, said on Wednesday in Abuja that the charges are particularly concerning because a dozen petitions filed by the Senator between March and May 2025 have gone unaddressed.
These 12 petitions, all submitted by Akpoti-Uduaghan, detail serious allegations ranging from cyberstalking and defamation to death threats and an alleged assassination plot.
Despite the gravity of these claims, her legal team asserts that the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies have yet to act on any of them.
“The public expects law enforcement and prosecutorial bodies to uphold fairness, the rule of law, and impartial justice in all matters involving her,” the lawyers said.
The team expressed concern that despite her complaints remaining unaddressed, allegations from those she implicated, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Governor Yahaya Bello, have been expedited, resulting in criminal charges being brought against her.
The statement reads: “This selective response raises deep concerns about biased enforcement of justice.”
The lawyers further said that several of the petitions involve high-profile individuals and detail specific incidents, including the abduction and attempted assassination of a protocol officer.
The team said: “Despite being out of the country on personal engagements, the senator has acknowledged official communication regarding the charges and has assured that she will present herself for arraignment once a date is confirmed.”
“She remains fully committed to due process,” her legal team stated, whilst also appreciating the public’s condemnation of what it termed “an extremely curious criminal charge” and expressing optimism that “injustices against her shall not be sustained.”
The legal team reiterated its demand for impartial investigations into all outstanding petitions and urged that justice be applied uniformly to all parties concerned.
Persecondnews had reported that in recent weeks, Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio have been embroiled in a heated political controversy.
The Kogi-born politician submitted a petition to the Senate, accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment.
However, the Ethics Committee rejected her petition on March 6 and imposed a six-month suspension without pay on her.
The beleaguered senator, during a visit to her hometown on 1 April, alleged that Akpabio and Bello had conspired to have her assassinated during the visit.
She said: “Senator Asuquo drove Yahaya Bello to Hilton and the meeting was in two folds. He told him to commence my recall and that he is going to sponsor it, of course money changed hands that night.
“The second thing he told him is that he should try and kill me. He told him the killing should not be done in Abuja but at home here (Ebira land).”
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