Kogi High Court Awards ₦1bn Damages Against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in Bello Defamation Case

The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has ordered Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay ₦1 billion in damages to former Governor Yahaya Bello over a defamation suit.

In a judgment dated April 23, Justice A. S. Ibrahim ruled in favour of the claimant, stating that the case was proven on the balance of probabilities. The decision was contained in the court’s certified true copy released on Friday.

The court held that remarks made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a November 4, 2022 appearance on Arise TV’s The Morning Show were defamatory. In the interview, she allegedly described Bello as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “perpetrator of evil acts,” among other allegations.

Justice Ibrahim found that the statements were unjustified and damaging to the former governor’s reputation.

In addition to the monetary award, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan, her agents, and associates from making further defamatory statements against Bello across broadcast platforms.

The suit, marked HCL/16/2023, also addressed jurisdictional objections raised by the defence. Counsel to the defendant, Johnson J. Usman, had argued that the case constituted an abuse of court process. However, Bello’s counsel, Friday Ekpa, countered that the suits filed at the FCT High Court did not involve Bello personally.

The High Court dismissed the objection and affirmed its jurisdiction. An appeal filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan was subsequently struck out by the Court of Appeal in case CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024 for lacking merit, upholding the lower court’s authority to hear the matter.

The ruling concludes a protracted legal battle between both parties over allegations made during the televised interview.