Justice Musa Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday rejected a request by the Federal Government for the arrest of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over her absence at the commencement of her defamation trial.
The Federal Government is prosecuting the senator on behalf of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, following alleged defamatory remarks she made during a live television interview on April 3, 2025 — including claims of a plot to assassinate her.
At Monday’s proceedings, prosecuting counsel David Kaswe informed the court that the case was scheduled for arraignment but that the defendant had failed to appear. He claimed the charges had been served through her lawyer, suggesting she was aware of the case.
Kaswe subsequently applied for a bench warrant for her arrest, stating:
“The defendant is aware of the matter but chose not to appear in court. I apply that a bench warrant be issued against her for failure to take her plea.”
However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Jacob Usman (SAN), strongly opposed the request, describing it as “strange” and “in bad taste.”
Usman clarified that he had only received the charge sheet at 9:15 a.m. that same morning, in court, and questioned how the defendant could have known about the arraignment without prior service.
“If the defendant has not been personally served, she cannot be expected to appear in court,” he argued, urging the court to dismiss the prosecution’s application.
After confirming that the defendant had not yet been personally served, Justice Umar ruled that a bench warrant could not be issued under such circumstances. He rejected the prosecution’s request and instead granted an application — made subsequently by the prosecution — for substituted service through the defendant’s counsel.
The case was adjourned to June 30, 2025, for arraignment.
