A show of solidarity unfolded at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama as Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, and prominent civil rights activists, including Aisha Yesufu, arrived ahead of the arraignment of suspended Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Dr. Ezekwesili, who has consistently voiced her support for Akpoti-Uduaghan publicly, was joined by several other activists inside the courtroom.
Persecondnews reports that at about 10:27 am, Akpoti-Uduaghan entered the courtroom, accompanied by her husband and legal team, under the watchful eye of armed security operatives.
She is expected to enter her plea before Justice Chizoba Orji.
The Federal Government is prosecuting Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan on allegations that she falsely accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of orchestrating an assassination plot against her.
In a three-count charge marked CR/297/25, the Federal Government alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan, the sole defendant, made the false and defamatory remarks during a live television appearance.
Specifically, the charge accuses the lawmaker, currently suspended for six months, of making “an imputation, knowing or having reason to believe that it would harm the reputation of a person.”
According to the charge, by making such a false imputation that tarnished others’ reputations, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly committed an offence under Section 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
It added that the alleged offence is punishable under Section 392 of the same law.
In the particulars of the offence outlined in count one of the charge, the Federal Government informed the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offence on April 3 during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
It is claimed that the lawmaker falsely alleged that certain politicians opposed to her were plotting to assassinate her.
Leave a comment