The Kogi State High Court in Lokoja has awarded N1 billion in damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in a defamation suit filed by former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello. The judgment, dated 23 April, was delivered by Justice A. S. Ibrahim in suit number HCL/16/2023, which upheld the claim that a 4 November 2022 interview Akpoti-Uduaghan gave on Arise TV's "The Morning Show" was defamatory. In the broadcast, she described Bello as a murderer, killer, perpetrator of evil acts, and a terror to the people of Kogi State—statements the court ruled were made without justification. The court found in favour of Bello based on the preponderance of evidence and granted a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan, her agents, privies, or associates from repeating the statements on any radio or television platform.
Bello had initiated the suit after the interview, with his counsel, Friday Ekpa, arguing that none of the pending cases against him in the FCT High Court involved defamation of his person. Akpoti-Uduaghan's legal team, led by SAN Johnson J. Usman, challenged the jurisdiction of the Kogi court, calling the suit an abuse of process. The High Court, however, ruled it had jurisdiction, a decision later affirmed by the Court of Appeal in appeal number CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024, which dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan's appeal for lacking merit. The judgment order, contained in the Certified True Copy, mandates payment of N1,000,000,000 in damages to Bello.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Yahaya Bello of being a murderer on national television, yet the court found no justification for those claims while awarding N1 billion in damages. The judgment implies that her statements were not only unproven but legally actionable, exposing her to massive financial liability. This outcome places a heavy burden on her public credibility, especially among constituents who supported her allegations. The ruling also sets a precedent for how public figures may be held accountable for unsubstantiated claims made in media appearances.
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