The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday granted suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan bail on self-recognisance.

The embattled Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges, premised on Section 392 of the Penal Code and Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2024 (as amended).

Following the not-guilty plea, counsel to Natasha, Professor Roland Otaru (SAN), requested that she be granted bail on self-recognisance, being a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a senior member of the Bar.

Specifically, the defence added that there was no counter-affidavit from the prosecution challenging the bail application.

In their response, the prosecution, not opposed to the motion, said,
“We were served the motion, but if the court is minded to grant it and take steps to ensure her attendance at trial, we shall not be opposing it.”

However, the defence counsel reminded the court that they had a motion on notice for bail filed on June 20, 2025, and sought the leave of the court to move it.

Further advancing his motion, Prof. Muktar said they had a 36-paragraph affidavit sworn to by the defendant herself, along with four exhibits.

He added that they were also submitting another eight-paragraph affidavit sworn to by one Ameh Audu and marked Exhibit E.

The defence posited that it was relying on all the affidavits and exhibits, as well as their written argument, to urge the court to grant the defendant bail on self-recognisance.

Further in his argument, the defence noted that, “Sen. Natasha is a notable lawyer, a Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, she is not a flight risk, and the prosecution did not file a counter-affidavit.”

He added that from Exhibit E, Sen. Natasha is already enjoying bail granted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in a similar suit.

In his bench ruling, Justice Mohammed Umar granted her bail on self-recognisance.

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation is prosecuting Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan over alleged false and defamatory statements against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

The prosecution claimed that Natasha allegedly said, “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done in Kogi, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.”

The FG emphasized that the defendant also, during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today, reiterated the allegations, asserting: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night to eliminate me.”

According to the prosecution, the statements—widely disseminated through digital platforms—were knowingly false and intended to incite unrest.

It insisted that the statement violated Section 24(2)(c) of the Cybercrime Act, which criminalises the intentional spread of false information to damage reputation or provoke public disorder.

The court adjourned until September 22 for the commencement of trial.