Court Awards ₦1bn Damages Against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in Defamation Suit
By Yahaya Idris, Lokoja
A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has ordered Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay ₦1 billion in damages to former Governor Yahaya Bello over defamatory statements made during a televised interview.
The ruling, delivered on April 23, 2026, by Justice A. S. Ibrahim, followed the court’s determination that the claimant successfully proved his case on the balance of probabilities.
According to the Certified True Copy of the judgment in suit number HCL/16/2023, the court held that remarks made by the senator during an appearance on The Morning Show, a programme aired on Arise Television on November 4, 2022, were defamatory.
In the broadcast, the senator had described the former governor in highly derogatory terms, including allegations portraying him as a violent and dangerous figure.
Justice Ibrahim ruled that such statements were made without justification and had caused significant damage to the claimant’s reputation.
In addition to the monetary award, the court granted a perpetual injunction restraining Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, as well as her agents, associates, and privies, from further publishing or causing to be published any defamatory statements against the former governor across television, radio, or other media platforms.
The court subsequently awarded ₦1 billion in damages in favour of Yahaya Bello, underscoring the gravity of the defamatory claims and their impact on his public image.
