Natasha: Court Orders Substituted Service Against Nwaebonyi In Defamation Suit

A Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory has granted an order for substituted service against Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North, in a defamation lawsuit filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central.

Naijaonpoint reports that the order was granted by Justice Angela Otaluka on Wednesday following a motion ex parte filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Yahuza Zakari.

The motion sought to serve court documents on Senator Nwaebonyi through substituted means due to the impracticality of serving him personally.

Zakari, while moving the motion, stated that the Kogi senator sought to serve the Ebonyi senator via publication in a national newspaper or through the Clerk of the National Assembly or the Senate.

He argued that serving Nwaebonyi personally was not feasible, and that substituted service would ensure the case was brought to the defendant’s attention.

Zakari stated in the application, “The service of the processes by publication in a widely circulated national daily newspaper in Nigeria, or through the clerk of the national assembly or the clerk of the senate, will bring the suit to the attention of the defendant.

“This honourable court has the inherent jurisdiction to grant an order for substituted service, depending on the circumstances. It will be in the interest of justice for service to be effected through substitute means.”

In granting the order, Justice Otaluka ruled that Nwaebonyi should be served via newspaper publication.

The lawsuit, marked CV/1359/2025, was filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan in April following remarks made by Senator Nwaebonyi during an interview on Channels Television on March 6, 2025. Akpoti-Uduaghan has accused Nwaebonyi of making defamatory and malicious statements about her during the interview.

In the interview, Nwaebonyi allegedly referred to Akpoti-Uduaghan as a “gold digger,” “habitual liar,” and “habitual blackmailer.” He further claimed that she was “a mother of six from different men,” a statement Akpoti-Uduaghan described as false and defamatory.

The Kogi senator is seeking a court ruling to declare Nwaebonyi’s statements as “false, malicious, and defamatory.” She claimed that the statements have caused significant harm to her reputation and public embarrassment.

Additionally, Akpoti-Uduaghan is asking the court to restrain Nwaebonyi from making further “malicious” comments about her. She has also demanded that Nwaebonyi pay a sum of ₦5 billion as “aggravated and exemplary damages” for the harm caused by the false and injurious statements.