FG Drags Senator Nwebonyi to Court Over Defamatory Remarks Against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

FG has dragged Senator Nwebonyi to court over defamatory remarks against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

NewsOnline Nigeria that the reports that the Federal Government has filed a five-count criminal defamation charge against Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi over alleged defamatory statements made against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The charges, marked CR/547/2025, were lodged before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) by Mohamed Babadoko Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation.

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According to court documents dated September 11, 2025, Senator Nwebonyi representing Ebonyi North and serving as Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate allegedly made the offensive remarks between March 3 and 29, 2025, during media appearances on Arise TV, Channels TV, TVC, and News Central in Abuja.

The prosecution alleges that Nwebonyi made malicious statements intended to tarnish the image of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, branding her “a habitual accuser” and “a woman who uses her gender as a weapon.”

He was further quoted as saying, “This woman is a known blackmailer, and people should be very careful with this woman.”

The Federal Government maintains that such statements were calculated to expose Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule, in violation of Sections 391 and 392 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the FCT.

In one of the charges, the prosecution cited comments made by Nwebonyi on Arise TV’s “NewsDay” programme, where he accused Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making repeated false sexual harassment claims and questioned her moral character.

“Are you the only woman in Nigeria? Senator Natasha! What is wrong with you?
This is madness. Nigerian women should rise against this.
Senator Natasha is spoiling the game for women in politics…
A mother of six from different men, and you think her character is not questionable?”

The prosecution asserts that these utterances were made knowingly and maliciously, with the intent to damage her reputation.

Each of the five counts accuses Senator Nwebonyi of knowingly making harmful imputations, contrary to Section 391 and punishable under Section 392 of the Penal Code Act.

If convicted, Nwebonyi faces the possibility of imprisonment, a fine, or both.

The Federal Government’s legal team emphasized that freedom of speech does not extend to false, damaging statements made with intent to destroy another person’s public image.

The case has been scheduled for hearing at the FCT High Court, where Senator Nwebonyi will be required to enter a plea and defend himself against the allegations.