The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, rejected the Federal Government’s application to issue a bench warrant against the suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in an alleged defamation case against her.
The government is prosecuting Akpoti-Uduaghan on behalf of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
When the matter was called on Monday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. D.D. Kasue informed the court that the matter was for arraignment, but the defendant was not present in court.
Kasue told the court that he served the charge on the defendant’s counsel, which meant that the defendant was well aware of the matter.
The prosecutor requested that the court issue a bench warrant against the defendant for failing to appear in court despite being aware of the charge against her.
“It was this morning that we were able to serve the defendant through her counsel, but the defendant is not in court.
“So it means the defendant is aware of this matter but decided not to appear in court; in light of this, I apply that a bench warrant be issued against her for failure to attend court to take her plea in this criminal charge,” Kasue said.
Counsel to Akpoti-Uduaghan, Mr Jacob Usman, SAN, in a swift reaction, told the court that he found the prosecution’s application strange and uncourteous.
Usman told the court that when he became aware of the pending suit, he called the prosecutor to inform him that his client had instructed him to accept the charge on her behalf.
“I was served the charge at 9:15 this morning here in court, so how will the defendant know that the matter is coming up when she has not seen the charge?
“I find the application strange, and it should be dishonoured; if the defendant has not been served, she cannot be in court,” he said.
He prayed the court to dis-countenance the application as it was made in bad taste.
The trial judge, Justice Musa Umar, asked the prosecutor if he had served the charge on the defendant, to which he answered in the negative.
Justice Umar, therefore, said that it was impossible to grant the application of the prosecutor and issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant when she had not been served.
He refused the application for a bench warrant and instead granted the application for substituted service through her counsel, which the prosecutor made in what seemed to be an afterthought.
The judge adjourned the matter until June 30 for arraignment.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the case is not unconnected to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s alleged defamatory comments made during a live TV appearance on Channels Television on April 3, 2025.
She allegedly made defamatory comments against Akpabio and Bello, including a plot to assassinate her.
