The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, set September 22, 2025, for the commencement of trial in a cybercrime suit against the suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Udauaghan.

The trial commenced following her arraignment on six counts bordering on alleged cybercrime before Justice Mohammed Umar, to which she pleaded not guilty.

The suspended senator was admitted to bail on self-recognition after Monday’s arraignment.

The charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, filed by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar, against the senator, alleged that she made false and damaging statements against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

According to the charge, Akpoti-Udauaghan was alleged to have said: “Akpabio told Yahaya Bello… that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, it should be done in Kogi, so it will seem as if it is the people that killed me.”

Days later, during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today, she was alleged to have reiterated the allegations, asserting: “It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”

The charge claims Akpoti-Udauaghan allegedly transmitted false and injurious information via electronic means with the intention to malign, incite, and endanger lives and breach public order.

The Federal Government stated that the statements, widely disseminated through digital platforms, were knowingly false, injurious, and intended to malign and incite unrest.

It further contended that the remarks violate “Section 24(2)(c)” of the Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises the intentional spread of false information to damage reputations or provoke public disorder.”

The PUNCH reported that barely two weeks ago, on Thursday, June 19, Akpoti-Udauaghan was arraigned on three counts bordering on alleged defamation before Justice Chizoba Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama in Abuja, on a similar charge to which she pled not guilty.

The Attorney General of the Federation, in the charge, accused Akpoti-Uduaghan, the sole defendant, of making defamatory statements against Akpabio and Bello, who are the nominal complainants in the matter.

Following her not-guilty plea and the arguments of her lawyer who convinced the court that his client did not pose a flight risk, the court granted Akpoti-Udauaghan bail in the sum of N50m and one surety who must be a person of reasonable integrity, resident in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and owns a landed property within the Abuja Municipal Area Council.

The alleged cybercrime charge instituted against Akpoti-Udauaghan before Justice Umar first came up for her arraignment on June 16.

The suspended lawmaker was, however, not present in court to take her plea.

Counsel for the Federal Government, David Kaswe, asked the court to issue an arrest warrant against Akpoti-Udauaghan for failing to show up in court for her arraignment.

The request was, however, rejected by Justice Umar who stated that since the senator had not previously been served with the charge or a hearing notice, it was inconceivable for her to have appeared in court and refused the prosecution’s application for a bench warrant.

At Monday’s hearing, after the matter was called upon, the suspended senator was put in the dock and took her plea.

Her legal team, led by Prof Roland Otaru (SAN), requested that she be granted bail on self-recognition, being a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a senior member of the bar.

He assured the court that his client did not pose a flight risk and would be available for her trial.

He informed the court that his client had earlier been granted bail over a similar charge before the FCT High Court, adding that she represented a constituency comprising five local government areas in Kogi State.

He further told the court that there was no counter-affidavit from the prosecution challenging the bail application.

The prosecution, on its part, informed the court that no process had been filed to contest the defendant’s release on bail.

The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, however, urged the court to exercise discretion and impose conditions that would ensure the defendant’s presence in court for her trial.

Delivering his ruling on the bail application, Justice Umar noted that it was undisputed that the defendant is a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He also stated that the charges brought against her were bailable offences.

On that basis, he decided to grant the defendant bail on self-recognition and proceeded to grant her bail on those terms.