- Safiu Kehinde
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has on Monday ruled out Federal Government’s application for bench warrant against suspended Kogi lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over her failure to appear for her defamation trial.
NPO Reported that the FG had filed a defamation suit against Akpoti-Uduaghan on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Following the commencement of the proceeding before Justice Musa Umar, the prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, called the court’s attention to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s absence for the hearing.
Kaswe told the court that he served the charge on the defendant’s counsel which meant that the defendant was well aware of the matter.
According to reports, the prosecution counsel prayed the court for a bench warrant to be issued against the defendant for failing to appear in court despite being aware of the charge against her.
“It was this morning that we were able to serve the defendant through her counsel, but the defendant is not in court.
“So, it means the defendant is aware of this matter but decided not to appear in court, in the light of this, I apply that a bench warrant be issued against her for failure to attend court to take her plea in this criminal charge,” Kaswe said.
Reacting, the defense counsel, Jacob Usman (SAN), told the court that he found the application of the prosecution strange and uncourteous.
“I was served the charge at 9:15am this morning here in court so how will the defendant know that the matter is coming up when she has not seen the charge?
“I find the application strange, and it should be dishonoured, if the defendant has not been served, she cannot be in court,” he said.
Usman prayed the court to dis-countenance the application as it was made in bad taste.
The trial judge, Justice Musa Umar, asked the prosecutor if he had served the charge on the defendant to which he answered in the negative.
Justice Umar, in his ruling, maintained that it was impossible to grant the application of the prosecutor and issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant when she had not been served.
He rejected the application for a bench warrant while granting the application for substituted service through her counsel which the prosecutor made in what seemed to be an afterthought.
The judge adjourned the matter to June 30, 2025, for arraignment.
Recall that Natasha had, in the ongoing sexual harassment scandal between her and Akabio, alleged that the Senate President and Bello plotted to assassinate her.
She made the allegation during her homecoming rally in April at her hometown, Obeiba-Ihimia.
Addressing her supporters at the rally, Natasha disclosed how Akpabio allegedly instructed Bello to orchestrate her assassination under the guise of a community attack, a claim which both parties had since denied.