Defamation: Ex-Gov Bello Petitions IGP, Demands Natasha’s Arrest
Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has filed a formal petition to the Inspector General of Police, calling for the arrest and prosecution of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan if she fails to prove her recent claims against him.
The petition, signed by his lawyer, Mr. N.A. Abubakar, accuses the senator of making “false, reckless and inciting” remarks during a political rally held on April 1, 2025.
At the rally in Okehi Local Government Area, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had directed Yahaya Bello to initiate her recall and to “try and kill” her, with the plan allegedly funded and discussed at a hotel meeting.
“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure 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,” she said.
In response, Bello’s legal team demanded that the Police invite Senator Natasha to present credible evidence backing her claims. “Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance and spreading false information injurious to public peace,” the petition stated.
The lawyers emphasized that the accusations amounted to criminal defamation, incitement to disorder, and false accusation under Nigerian law. They cited relevant provisions, including Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 and Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code, warning that failure to address such serious allegations could set a dangerous precedent.
According to the petition, Akpoti-Uduaghan not only made the claims publicly but also ensured the video went viral online, suggesting a deliberate effort to tarnish the former governor’s image and mislead the public. “She gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor,” the letter added.
The legal team went further to describe the senator’s conduct as “characterized by manic narcissism, wild hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and an incurable incontinence with emotions and social interactions.” They claimed Bello had previously chosen restraint while in office, despite frequent media harassment by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Now out of office, Bello insists on full legal redress. His lawyers said, “He no longer feels the same duty of paternalistic indulgence which he had for all Kogites as his citizens while in office… hence his insistence on full redress for her current accusations which, as usual, are totally fabricated and utterly baseless.”
In a separate letter to the senator, Bello’s lawyers, led by Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN, issued a formal demand for a retraction and public apology in two national dailies within 14 days. They also warned her to desist from making any further defamatory remarks or face legal action.
“Take notice that failure, refusal or neglect to comply… will set the necessary machinery in motion to initiate both civil and criminal proceedings against you without further notice,” the letter concluded.
Bello’s camp insists the matter must be addressed decisively to “safeguard public order and protect innocent persons from dangerous falsehoods.”
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