Yahaya Bello Wants Police To Prosecute Natasha For Alleged Defamation

Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has called on the police to probe and prosecute the suspended Kogi central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for allegedly defaming him.

Recall that the suspended senator had, on April 1, 2025, alleged that Bello was detailed by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio to assassinate on Kogi soil.

In the petition, filed on Wednesday by his lawyer, Mr. N.A. Abubakar, Bello, called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to invite Natasha to substantiate her allegations with credible evidence.

“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance and spreading false information injurious to public peace,” the petition stated.

According to the petition, Natasha’s utterances against the former governor were not only false, reckless and inciting, but also constitute serious criminal defamation, false accusation and incitement to public disorder, all of which are offences under the Nigerian law.

In a separate communication, Bello also wrote to Natasha through a legal firm, Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN & Co, demanding a retraction and a public apology over alleged defamatory statements made against him by the suspended senator in two national dailies, or face legal consequences.

“Our client’s attention has been drawn to a most disturbing, damaging and criminally defamatory statement made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, during her public address at a political event tagged ‘Homecoming Rally’ held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Okehi LGA of Kogi State.

“That while addressing attendees at the rally, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan falsely and maliciously uttered the following words in reference to our client: ‘(Senate President Godswill) Akpabio sent for Yahaya Bello. And it was actually Senator Asuquo from Cross River that drove Yahaya Bello from Hilton Hotel.

“I was informed of everything and what I got to know of the meeting was in two folds. He told him to commence my recall and that he was going to fund it – of course, monies changed hands that night. The second thing he told him was that he should try and kill me. I didn’t make this public, but I wrote to the IG of Police. Akpabio told Yahaya Bello. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, that it should be done here, so it would seem as if it’s the people that killed me here.”

The lawyer said Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan caused videos of her alleged defamatory statements to be widely circulated online where they are still trending, “with the clear intention of causing harm to the reputation of the former governor against Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code (applicable in Northern Nigeria) – which criminalise giving false information with intent to mislead public officers or the public.

Continuing the petitioner said, “By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator in a purported murder plot (with an attempt to disguise the killing as mob or ethnic violence), Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has:

“Gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor, and misled the public and tried to incite ethnic and political distrust, especially among clans of Ebiraland in particular and the people of Kogi Central in general.

“Brought his name into disrepute on the basis of an allegation so weighty that, if left unchallenged, could harm his political career and personal safety; and abused her parliamentary status and platform by propagating such falsehoods without evidence, in a very public and politically charged setting,” the solicitor said.

“Our Client states that he has long considered Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as unhinged and apparently possessed of a schizophrenic disorder, characterised by manic narcissism, wild hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking and an incurable incontinence with emotions and social interactions – hence his patient indulgence of her in the past while he was Governor in Kogi State when he restrained himself many times from seeking legal redress even though she frequently harassed him in the media with all sorts of horrible and damaging lies.

“Our Client, however, asserts that he has long ended his stewardship of Kogi State as Governor and moved on to other pursuits – and that he no longer feels the same duty of paternalistic indulgence which he had for all Kogites as his citizens while in Office, and still exhibits till today, hence his insistence on full redress for her (Akpoti-Uduaghan’s) current accusations which, as usual, are totally fabricated and utterly baseless.”

He urged the IG to expedite action on the petition, stating that “failure to act in the circumstances of these egregious offences by Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan will embolden others to also weaponise political platforms for dangerous falsehoods and criminal misrepresentation, especially with an eye to gaining dishonest advantage over opponents, thus endangering our democracy.

“This is necessary to preserve public order, safeguard the integrity of public discourse and protect innocent persons from targeted smear campaigns that can endanger lives or destabilise the peace of the state and nation.”

Bello’s lawyers demanded that Natasha retract her alleged defamatory statements and cause them to be published in two national dailies or face legal consequences.

“That you cease and desist from making any further defamatory statements concerning him, whether directly or by innuendo, and whether published in print, electronic or social media platforms.

“That you comply in terms of the foregoing within fourteen days of the service of this letter on you.
“Take notice that failure, refusal or neglect to comply with the above demands within the period of FOURTEEN DAYS (14) from the date this Letter is served on you, our client, will set the necessary machinery in motion to initiate both civil and criminal proceedings against you without further notice.”