Kogi High Court Orders Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to Pay N1 Billion for Defaming Yahaya Bello

A High Court orders Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay N1bn to Yahaya Bello. The judge ruled her televised murder allegations were defamatory and baseless.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 25, 2026, 9:35 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Business Hallmark

Judicial Rebuke for Televised Allegations Against Former Governor

In a significant legal victory for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, Justice A.S. Ibrahim of the Lokoja High Court has delivered a judgment addressing high profile character assassination. The court determined that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was liable for damages following a series of inflammatory statements made during a national broadcast. According to the court, the evidence presented in suit HCL/16/2023 confirmed that the defendant’s rhetoric significantly injured the claimant’s reputation. This ruling concludes a protracted legal battle that highlights the boundaries of political discourse and the legal consequences of unsubstantiated public accusations.

Analyzing the Defamatory Content of the Arise TV Interview

The core of the legal dispute centered on an interview granted by the senator on The Morning Show, which aired on Arise TV on November 4, 2022. During this appearance, Akpoti-Uduaghan reportedly characterized the then governor as a murderer, a killer, and a perpetrator of evil acts. Justice Ibrahim held that these specific labels were defamatory to the claimant’s character and reputation. The court emphasized that the remarks lacked any form of justification, portraying Bello as a terror to the citizens of Kogi State without providing the necessary substantiated evidence to back such extreme criminal allegations.

Financial Restitution and Perpetual Injunction Mandates

The court has directed the senator to pay N1 billion as a punitive measure to compensate for the damage done to the former governor's public standing. Beyond the financial penalty, Justice Ibrahim granted a perpetual injunction that strictly prohibits the senator, her agents, or any associates from publishing similar defamatory content in the future. This legal restraint extends to all media platforms, ensuring that the specific allegations addressed in this case cannot be repeated without further legal penalty. The ruling serves as a judicial barrier intended to prevent the continued dissemination of unproven criminal labels against the former state leader.