Court shifts Natasha’s alleged cybercrime trial to Nov 24

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– The Federal High Court sitting successful Abuja, connected Tuesday, slated November 24 to perceive the six-count cybercrime complaint the Federal Government preferred against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Trial Justice Mohammed Umar gave a caller day aft the lawsuit was stalled by the question of protests that disrupted tribunal activities connected Monday.

The Federal Government, successful the complaint marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, alleged that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan made mendacious assassination assertion that violated the cybercrime law.

The suspect was said to person made an allegation that immoderate politicians opposed to her were plotting to assassinate her.

According to the Federal Government, the lawmaker committed the alleged transgression erstwhile she addressed her supporters successful Kogi State and connected April 3, during a unrecorded broadcast connected Channels Television’s Politics Today.

She was specifically accused of naming the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a erstwhile politician of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, arsenic participants successful the gathering wherever the crippled to destruct her was hatched.

The Federal Government told the tribunal that the suspect insisted that some Akpabio and Bello agreed that she should beryllium eliminated successful Kogi State nether circumstances that would look arsenic a mob action.

She was accused of causing the mendacious allegation to beryllium transmitted, knowing it would harm the estimation of some Senator Akpabio and ex-governor Bello, thereby committing an offence punishable nether conception 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

However, the lawmaker, who was arraigned earlier the tribunal connected June 30, pleaded her innocence to the charge, adjacent arsenic she was granted bail connected self-recognition.

More so, the defendant, done her squad of lawyers led by Mr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, filed a preliminary objection to situation the jurisdiction of the tribunal to entertain the case.

The objection centred connected alleged maltreatment of the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice.

Besides, the defence counsel complained that the prosecution failed to service him with copies of afloat statements of the projected witnesses.

He contended that conception 36 of the 1999 Constitution, arsenic amended, made it compulsory that the suspect indispensable beryllium served with the impervious of grounds to alteration her to efficaciously hole her defence to the charge.

On his part, the Federal Government’s lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, told the tribunal that his witnesses were acceptable to look earlier it to attest successful the matter.

The prosecution counsel argued that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s objection was not capable to stall the scheduled commencement of the trial.

He, therefore, urged the tribunal to let the Federal Government to unfastened its case, insisting the tribunal has the requisite jurisdiction to perceive the cybercrime charge.

“We person exercised our prosecutorial powers according to some the Constitution and the Cybercrime law. The AGF has the powerfulness to similar complaint against anyone,” Kaswe added.

The station Court shifts Natasha’s alleged cybercrime proceedings to Nov 24 appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.