Yahaya Bello, former Kogi State governor, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), calling for an investigation and possible prosecution of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, suspended senator representing Kogi central, over allegations he described as false and defamatory.
The petition, dated Wednesday and signed by his solicitor, N.A. Abubakar Esq, urged the police to invite the senator to provide credible evidence supporting her recent public claims against him.
“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance and spreading false information injurious to public peace,” the petition reads.
Bello’s legal team said the statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a recent political rally were not only reckless but criminally defamatory and intended to incite public disorder.
“Our client’s attention has been drawn to a most disturbing, damaging and criminally defamatory statement made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan… during her public address at a political event tagged ‘Homecoming Rally’ held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Okehi LGA of Kogi State,” the letter stated.
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Quoting her remarks at the rally, the letter said: “(Senate President Godswill) Akpabio sent for Yahaya Bello. And it was actually Senator Asuquo from Cross River that drove Yahaya Bello from Hilton Hotel.
I was informed of everything and what I got to know of the meeting was in two folds. He told him to commence my recall and that he was going to fund it — of course, monies changed hands that night.
The second thing he told him was that he should try and kill me. I didn’t make this public, but I wrote to the IG of Police. Akpabio told Yahaya Bello. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, that it should be done here, so it would seem as if it’s the people that killed me here…”
Bello’s lawyer argued that these claims, which have gone viral online, constitute a violation of Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, as well as Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code, both of which criminalise the dissemination of false information and incitement of public unrest.
“By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator… Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has:
Gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor… and abused her parliamentary status and platform by propagating such falsehoods without evidence,” the lawyer stated.
In a separate communication addressed directly to the senator, Bello’s lead counsel, R.O. Balogun, SAN, demanded a formal retraction of the statements and a public apology published in two national newspapers.
“We hereby demand, on behalf of our client, the following: That you issue a formal retraction of the said defamatory statements, to be published in two national dailies.
“That you cease and desist from making any further defamatory statements concerning him…
That you comply… within Fourteen days of the service of this letter on you,” the letter read.
It warned that failure to comply would result in civil and criminal legal actions.
In his petition, Bello accused the senator of having a history of making false allegations and described her as “unhinged and apparently possessed of a schizophrenic disorder… characterised by manic narcissism, wild hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and an incurable incontinence with emotions and social interactions.”
He added, “Our Client… no longer feels the same duty of paternalistic indulgence… hence his insistence on full redress for her current accusations which, as usual, are totally fabricated and utterly baseless.”
Bello urged the IGP to act swiftly, warning that “failure to act in the circumstances of these egregious offences by Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan will embolden others to also weaponise political platforms for dangerous falsehoods and criminal misrepresentation…”
He stressed the need for immediate intervention to “preserve public order, safeguard the integrity of public discourse and protect innocent persons from targeted smear campaigns.”
