The Senator representing Kogi Central at the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has rejected the ₦1 billion damages award against her in a defamation suit filed by former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, citing her right to defend herself against terrorism allegations.
Bello had sued Natasha for defamation of character during an interview with ARISE Television.
In the Certified True Copy of the judgment obtained by NAN and dated April 23, in Lokoja, the court held that based on the preponderance of evidence or balance of probabilities, judgment was entered in favour of the claimant.
While delivering his judgment in the suit marked “HCL/16/2023”, on Friday, Justice A. S. Ibrahim held that upon the conclusion of the suit, the two issues formulated for determination were resolved in favour of the claimant.
Reacting to the judgment, in a statement by her Media Office, in Abuja, on Saturday, Natasha said, “I reject this judgment in its entirety. We presented substantial and credible evidence before the court, which, in our view, clearly justified our position. Unfortunately, these were not given due consideration.”
Natasha explained that her comments on Arise Television’s “The Morning Show” were a response to Bello’s accusations, stressing that, “If there is anybody to be accused of terrorism, it should be Yahaya Bello and not me.
“My comments were rooted in the experiences of our people and the need to speak truth to power.”
According to Natasha, the court failed to properly evaluate her evidence, adding that her statements were made in the public interest and not out of malice.
She said, “We presented substantial and credible evidence which were not given due consideration.
“My statements were based on information available at the time and were made in good faith, in the interest of accountability to the people of Kogi State.
“I firmly believe that the truth was not adequately reflected in the court’s findings. We are heading to the Court of Appeal. This is not the end of the matter. We will pursue all lawful avenues to ensure that justice is served.”