Defamation Charge: FG alleges plot to scuttle Natasha’s trial

… arsenic tribunal fixes Oct 27 to perceive defendant’s preliminary objection

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA–The Federal Government, connected Tuesday, alleged a deliberate effort to frustrate it from calling witnesses to attest against the embattled Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The allegation came aft the lawmaker, done her squad of lawyers led by Mr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, persuaded the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting astatine Maitama, to halt FG from opening its lawsuit successful the defamation complaint that was entered against her.

In the complaint marked: CR/297/25, FG alleged that the suspect who was earlier handed a six-month suspension by the Senate, made mendacious and defamatory remarks erstwhile she appeared arsenic a impermanent connected a unrecorded tv program.

It specifically accused Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of making mendacious imputation that tarnished the representation of some the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and erstwhile Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

Providing the particulars of the offence successful count-one of the charge, FG, told the tribunal that the suspect committed the alleged transgression connected April 3, during a unrecorded broadcast connected Channels Television’s Politics Today, erstwhile she alleged that immoderate politicians, including Akpabio and Bello, were plotting to assassinate her.

According to FG, the defendant, by her claim, committed an offence nether 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable nether conception 392 of the aforesaid law.

When the substance was called up connected Tuesday, FG’s lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, told the tribunal that his witnesser was disposable for the commencement of hearing.

“My lord the substance was fixed for prosecution to unfastened its case. We are prepared and person our witnesser successful court. Subject to the convenience of the court, we are acceptable to proceed with the concern of the day,” Kaswe added.

However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Mr. Idahosa, SAN, drew the attraction of the tribunal to a announcement of preliminary objection his lawsuit filed to situation its jurisdiction to proceed with the case.

He told the tribunal that the objection was premised connected the information that “there has been maltreatment of prosecutorial powers,” by the Attorney-General of the Federation, a concern helium said stripped the tribunal of its jurisdiction to entertain the complaint arsenic constituted.

“This is not a situation to the counts oregon elements of the offence, but a situation to the validity of the enactment itself.
“Assuming the tribunal agrees with us, determination volition beryllium nary request to proceed with the trial.

“This is simply a threshold substance and we person served the prosecution done the bureau of the AGF. We person not received immoderate effect from them,” Idahosa, SAN, added.

Besides, helium noted that the impervious of grounds the prosecution served connected the suspect did not incorporate afloat extrajudicial statements of the projected witnesses.

“What was frontloaded were specified summaries. We privation to cognize what each idiosyncratic said. We are entitled to afloat disclosure arsenic portion of the facilities we are entitled to beryllium provided with to hole our defence,” Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer further submitted.

Dissatisfied with the development, FG’s lawyer decried that though the suspect was arraigned connected June 19, she waited till past Thursday to record the objection.

The prosecution counsel told the tribunal that his section astatine the Ministry of Justice was yet to person a transcript of the said objection since it was served straight connected the AGF.

“The AGF has not been connected sit. He has been astatine UNGA and helium could not enactment connected the documents. The process has not been minuted to my office.

“This is the crushed wherefore telephone fig and code of counsel are contained connected the look of tribunal processes. The suspect filed but did not oblige counsel connected grounds a transcript of the process.

“What is happening is thing but a calculated effort to frustrate proceeding of prosecution’s lawsuit today,” FG’s lawyer fumed.

Relying connected sections 221, 306 and 396(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, FG prayed the tribunal to “stop the suspect from delaying transgression proceedings earlier court.”

“Criminal proceedings ought to beryllium speedily tried. The Court of Appeal successful the lawsuit of Onnoghen Vs FRN, 2019, LPELR, 47524, stated intelligibly that objections calculated t...