The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has adjourned the trial of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in the alleged defamation case involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to December 1, 2025.
The adjournment followed the prosecution’s failure to properly serve its response to the preliminary objection filed by the defence.
Justice Chizoba Oji, the presiding judge, fixed the new date after the prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, informed the court that although the counter-affidavit had been filed, it was mistakenly served on an incorrect address.
“It would not be fair for the prosecution to insist that the matter proceed when the defence team has indicated its intention to respond to our counter,” Kaswe stated, requesting a short adjournment for proper service.
Defence counsel, Ehighioge West-Idahosa (SAN), confirmed that the prosecution’s response had not been received, noting that “none of the defendant’s lawyers was served.” He added that the defence would respond once proper service was effected.
He also pleaded for a longer adjournment since members of the defence team would be attending the International Bar Association Conference in Canada.
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Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was arraigned on June 19, faces a three-count charge of alleged harmful imputation filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). The charge accuses her of making statements that allegedly defamed Senate President Akpabio and former Governor Bello, including claims that they conspired to harm her and linking Akpabio to the death of Miss Iniobong Umoren.
She has since pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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At the last sitting on September 23, the defence raised a preliminary objection arguing that the AGF’s office abused its prosecutorial powers. West-Idahosa described it as a “threshold jurisdictional matter,” contesting the validity, not the substance, of the charges.
Justice Oji adjourned the matter till December 1, 2025, for the hearing of the preliminary objection.
