The Federal Government has filed a new criminal charge against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over statements allegedly damaging to the reputation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/195/25, was instituted on May 22, 2025, under Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2024. It comes just weeks after an earlier defamation charge, CR/297/25 was filed at the FCT High Court based on the same allegations, raising legal concerns about forum shopping and judicial abuse.
According to court filings, the government alleges that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan published online statements capable of tarnishing the public image of both Akpabio and Bello. She has denied all wrongdoing and maintains her right to free expression.
While the FCT High Court charge was filed under Section 392 of the Penal Code and has already led to her arraignment and bail on June 19, the new cybercrime-based case will see her re-arraigned at the Federal High Court on June 30, 2025.
Legal experts say the duplicity of charges not only clogs the court system but may also amount to harassment, particularly when the alleged offence is based on free speech.
Globally, defamation has largely been decriminalised, with jurisdictions like Lagos, Delta, Edo, and Ekiti States in Nigeria abolishing criminal defamation laws altogether. In these states, defamation is treated purely as a civil matter, because it is essentially aimed at protecting personal reputation rather than punishing dissent or curbing free speech.
Many analysts have described the Federal Government’s pursuit of criminal defamation charges as an attempt to stifle opposition voices and discourage criticism of public office holders. They warned that such prosecutions, under the guise of protecting reputations, risk undermining constitutional rights to free expression and may set a dangerous precedent for silencing dissent.
