Court awards N1bn damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in defamation case

A High Court sitting in Lokoja has ordered Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay ₦1 billion in damages to former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in a defamation suit arising from comments she made during a televised interview.

The judgment, contained in a Certified True Copy dated 23 April, found that the senator’s remarks during an appearance on Arise TV’s Morning Show on 4 November 2022 were defamatory and injurious to the former governor’s reputation.

Presiding Judge, Justice A. S. Ibrahim, held that the claimant had established his case on the balance of probabilities, ruling in his favour on all issues submitted for determination.

According to the court, the statements in which Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly described Mr Bello as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “perpetrator of evil acts,” as well as a “terror to the people of Kogi State,” were made without justification and were damaging to his character.

In addition to the monetary award, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the senator, her agents, and associates from making or publishing further defamatory statements against the former governor across television, radio, or other media platforms.

The suit, filed by Mr Bello, also faced preliminary objections from the defendant’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Johnson J. Usman, who challenged the court’s jurisdiction and described the case as an abuse of court process.

However, counsel to the claimant, Friday Ekpa, argued that the case was properly before the court and not duplicated in any other jurisdiction involving the personal claims of the former governor.

The court had earlier affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the matter, a decision which the senator subsequently appealed. The Court of Appeal in Abuja, in case number CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024, later dismissed her appeal, ruling that it lacked merit and upholding the lower court’s authority to proceed.

The judgment marks the conclusion of a closely watched legal dispute between the former governor and the serving senator, which has drawn significant public attention in Nigeria’s political landscape.