Court slams Natasha with N1bn damages for defaming Yahaya Bello

A High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has ordered Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay N1 billion in damages to former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over defamatory statements.

The judgment, delivered by Justice A.S. Ibrahim on April 23, 2026, followed a protracted legal dispute in suit number HCL/16/2023, in which Bello accused the senator of making damaging allegations against his character.

In his ruling, Justice Ibrahim held that the evidence before the court established that the claimant’s reputation had been injured by statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a televised interview.

The court specifically cited her appearance on The Morning Show aired on Arise TV on November 4, 2022, where she allegedly described Bello as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “perpetrator of evil acts.”

According to the judge, the remarks were not only defamatory but also lacked justification.

“The interview granted by the defendant… is defamatory to the claimant’s character and reputation,” the court ruled, adding that the allegations portrayed Bello as a terror to the people of Kogi State without substantiated evidence.

Justice Ibrahim further granted a perpetual injunction restraining the senator, her agents, and associates from making or publishing similar defamatory statements against the former governor on any media platform.

“The sum of one billion naira (₦1,000,000,000) is hereby awarded as damages against the defendant and in favour of the claimant,” the court held.

The case had earlier witnessed a jurisdictional challenge by counsel to the defendant, Johnson J. Usman (SAN), who argued that the suit constituted an abuse of court process.

However, Bello’s counsel, Friday Ekpa, countered that the cases referenced by the defence did not involve the person of the former governor, urging the court to proceed.

The High Court subsequently affirmed its jurisdiction, a decision that was contested by Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Court of Appeal.

In appeal number CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024, the appellate court dismissed her challenge, ruling that it lacked merit and upholding the jurisdiction of the Kogi State High Court to hear the matter.