Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has rejected the ₦1 billion damages awarded against her in a defamation suit filed by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, and has moved to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
The judgment, delivered by the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja, found that comments made by the senator during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on November 4, 2022, were defamatory and injurious to Bello’s reputation.
In his ruling, Justice A. S. Ibrahim held that the statements were not justified by the evidence presented and consequently awarded ₦1 billion in damages to the former governor. The court also restrained the senator from making further defamatory remarks against Bello.
Reacting to the verdict, Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a statement issued by her media office, rejected the judgment and insisted that her defence was supported by credible evidence.“I reject this judgment in its entirety. We presented substantial and credible evidence before the court, which, in our view, clearly justified our position.
Unfortunately, these were not given due consideration,” she said. The senator maintained that her remarks during the television interview were made in response to allegations against her, stressing that they were rooted in public interest.“If there is anybody to be accused of terrorism, it should be Yahaya Bello and not me,” she stated.
She further argued that her comments were made in good faith and based on information available at the time, adding that they were intended to promote accountability.“My statements were based on information available at the time and were made in good faith, in the interest of accountability to the people of Kogi State,” she added.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s evaluation of the evidence, insisting that justice was not served.“I firmly believe that the truth was not adequately reflected in the court’s findings.
We are heading to the Court of Appeal. This is not the end of the matter,” she said. She affirmed that her legal team would pursue all lawful avenues to challenge the ruling.
