A High Court in Lokoja has ordered Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay ₦1 billion in damages to the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, following a high-profile defamation lawsuit.
The judgment, delivered on Friday, April 24, 2026, marks a significant legal victory for the former governor in his long-standing rivalry with the Senator representing Kogi Central.
The Defamatory Interview
The lawsuit (marked HCL/16/2023) centered on a televised interview Senator Natasha granted to Arise TV on November 4, 2022.
- The Allegations: During “The Morning Show,” the Senator described the then-sitting governor as a “murderer,” “killer,” and a “terror to the people of Kogi State.”
- The Court’s Ruling: Presiding Justice A.S. Ibrahim held that the statements were defamatory and lacked legal justification. The court ruled that the language used was injurious to Yahaya Bello’s reputation and character.
The Penalties
- Financial Damages: While Yahaya Bello had initially sought ₦5 billion, the court awarded ₦1,000,000,000 in general damages.
- Perpetual Injunction: The court issued an order restraining Senator Natasha, her agents, or associates from making further defamatory remarks against Bello on any television or radio station.
- Justification Dismissed: The Senator’s defense—which argued that her comments were justified based on political events leading up to the 2023 elections—was dismissed as insufficient in law.
Political Context
This civil judgment follows a separate development in January 2026, where the Federal Government dropped criminal defamation charges against Senator Natasha. However, this fresh civil ruling at the state level adds a massive financial and legal burden to the Senator just as political maneuvering for future cycles begins to heat up.
