Court Awards N1 Billion Damages Against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in Defamation Case Filed by Yahaya Bello

A High Court in Lokoja has ruled that Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan must pay N1 billion in damages after being found guilty of defamation in a suit filed by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

This order was included in the Certified True Copy of the judgment, dated April 23, in Lokoja.

The court determined that, based on the balance of evidence, the judgment was in favour of the claimant.

Justice A. S. Ibrahim, who delivered the verdict in case number “HCL/16/2023,” concluded that both issues presented for decision were resolved in favour of the claimant.

The court stated that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s interview on Arise TV’s “The Morning Show” on November 4, 2022, defamed the character and reputation of the claimant.

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In that interview, the defendant referred to the claimant as a murderer, a killer, a perpetrator of evil deeds, and a terror to the people of Kogi State, which the court deemed unjustified.

Additionally, the court imposed a perpetual injunction against Akpoti-Uduaghan and her associates, preventing further defamatory statements about Bello on television or radio stations.

The court awarded a total of one billion naira (N1,000,000,000) in damages to the claimant.

News agency NAN reported that Bello had sued Akpoti-Uduaghan for defamation.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Johnson J. Usman, SAN, had contested the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the suit was an abuse of process.

Bello’s counsel, Friday Ekpa, countered, clarifying that none of the cases at the FCT High Court were against Yahaya Bello personally.

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The High Court maintained its jurisdiction over the case, and Akpoti-Uduaghan appealed the ruling.

However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, affirming that the Kogi State High Court had jurisdiction to hear the case, in appeal number “CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024.”

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