In the suit, filed through her legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria M. J. Numa, Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected the allegations, describing them as a deliberate attempt to damage her reputation
By Titilope Adako
Abuja – Nigeria | April 8 2025
The suspended Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a N5 billion defamation lawsuit at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama against Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi.
She accuses Nwaebonyi of falsely claiming she has six children by different men.
In the suit, filed through her legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria M. J. Numa, Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected the allegations, describing them as a deliberate attempt to damage her reputation.
She claims the defamatory statements were made during a televised interview on Channels TV’s “Sunrise Daily” programme on March 6, 2025, where Nwaebonyi also labelled her a “gold digger,” “habitual liar,” and “habitual blackmailer.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that the statements, which were widely broadcast and shared across online and social media platforms, were not only false but also malicious, designed to bring her into disrepute.
Additionally, Nwaebonyi’s accusations included claims that her marriage to Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan was forced.
The defamation suit (CV/1259/25) stated that these accusations implied she was a dishonest extortionist, using men for money and threatening to reveal damaging information for personal gain.
Akpoti-Uduaghan further stated that the senator’s statements aimed to prejudice her petition to the Senate and justify her suspension.
She is seeking a court order for Nwaebonyi and his associates to cease further defamatory publications, as well as a retraction of the statements on the same platforms.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also requests a public apology published in two national newspapers and the award of N5 billion in damages for the harm caused.
Additionally, she is asking for post-judgment interest on the awarded amount.
The suit reads in part, “The claimant further contends that these statements in their natural and ordinary meaning, are meant and were understood to portray the claimant: as someone who constantly extorts people for money through dishonest and unscrupulous means as a career.
“As someone who demands money or other benefits from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. As a woman who forms relationships with men purely to obtain money or gifts from them. As someone who constantly tells lies and does not speak the truth on most occasions and as someone who uses the threat of damaging information to coerce others into acting in her favour.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that the claims about her being a mother of six from different men are baseless and reckless, highlighting that she continues to inspire women in politics.
She added, “The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power. The claimant is not spoiling the chance of women in politics as falsely alleged, rather she is inspiring women to be bold in their quest for politics and good governance.”
No hearing date has yet been set.
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