By Dansu Peter Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a ₦5.1 billion defamation lawsuit ag...
By Dansu Peter
Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a ₦5.1 billion defamation lawsuit against her colleague, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, over a series of alleged defamatory remarks made on national television and online platforms.
In the suit marked CV/1359/25 and lodged at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her legal team led by Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), claims that Senator Nwaebonyi made “false, malicious, and defamatory” statements about her during a Channels TV Sunrise Daily appearance on March 6, 2025.
According to court filings, Nwaebonyi allegedly referred to Senator Natasha as a “gold digger,” “habitual liar,” and “habitual blackmailer,” among other damaging labels. The Kogi lawmaker contends that these remarks were calculated to injure her reputation and reduce her standing before the public.
“The statements are defamatory per se and have caused considerable distress, public ridicule, and reputational damage,” the suit stated.
In addition to the comments on Channels TV, Senator Natasha is also challenging further comments attributed to Nwaebonyi during a March 3, 2025 interview on Arise News TV, where he allegedly said she was “a mother of six from different men.” The claim also cited video clips from YouTube in which Nwaebonyi reportedly accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of forcing her husband into marriage and fabricating sexual harassment allegations against public figures.
The suit, initiated via Writ of Summons under the FCT High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2025, was filed on April 7, 2025.
Senator Natasha is seeking a series of declarations from the court, including that Nwaebonyi’s statements are defamatory and do not qualify as protected speech under freedom of expression. She also demands a retraction and public apology across at least two national newspapers and on the same platforms used to disseminate the alleged defamation.
She is asking for ₦5 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages, an additional ₦100 million in legal costs, and post-judgment interest at 10% per annum until the judgment is fully paid.
Furthermore, the suspended Senator is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Senator Nwaebonyi and his associates from making or publishing any further defamatory remarks against her.
The matter is yet to be assigned a hearing date.
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