Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has shrugged off a petition filed against her by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, accusing him of plotting to assassinate her.
Bello, through his lawyer, N.A. Abubakar, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, calling Natasha’s claims “false, reckless, and inciting.”
The suspended lawmaker had alleged during a recent visit to Okehi that Bello, in collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, was planning her assassination. “Akpabio sought Bello’s help to assassinate me in Kogi State rather than in Abuja,” she stated at a political event on April 1, 2025.
In reaction, the Kogi State Government dismissed the claims as “unfounded and inciting,” while Bello’s legal team insisted Natasha should be compelled to produce credible evidence or face arrest and prosecution for criminal defamation and incitement.
“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law,” the petition read.
Natasha, through her lawyer Victor Giwa, maintained that she stands by her statements.
“They should calm down and allow the police to do their job. There is already a petition to that effect with the IGP,” he said. “To show that it wasn’t a mere allegation, Natasha has enough evidence to back up her point.”
In a separate letter, Bello’s other counsel, Chief R.O. Balogun (SAN), demanded a public retraction and apology for the statements made at the ‘Homecoming Rally’ in Okehi.
Bello’s legal team further cited the Cybercrimes Act and Penal Code, claiming that the online spread of the accusations had worsened the reputational damage. “By accusing our client of plotting an assassination… Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has gravely damaged our client’s reputation,” the petition stated.