Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has moved to
quash criminal defamation charges filed against her by the Federal Government,
describing the cases as an orchestrated attempt at political intimidation.
Her legal team, which includes four Senior
Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), filed preliminary objections at both
the FCT High Court and the Federal High Court, insisting the
charges are unconstitutional, frivolous, and designed to silence opposition
voices.
Defamation Is Civil, Not Criminal –
Natasha’s Lawyers
The charges, filed after petitions from Senate
President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello,
are based on statements allegedly made by Senator Natasha. However, her counsel
argued that defamation cases are inherently civil and cannot be
converted into criminal proceedings to shield private reputations.
The defence further submitted that the Attorney
General of the Federation (AGF) lacks the legal standing to prosecute
defamation on behalf of individuals, stressing that criminalizing public
discourse amounts to an assault on free speech and democracy.
Selective Justice and Political
Intimidation
Senator Natasha’s team also alleged selective
prosecution, noting that her own petitions alleging threats to her life by
the complainants were ignored. She maintains that this discriminatory
enforcement violates her constitutional rights under Section 42 of
the Nigerian Constitution and reflects persecution tied to her political
affiliation.
Warning Against Wasting Public Funds
Her lawyers — Prof. Roland Otaru, SAN; Dr. E.
West-Idahosa, SAN; J.J. Usman, SAN; and M.J. Numa, SAN — urged the courts
to dismiss the cases at the preliminary stage. They cautioned that pursuing
such prosecutions would waste taxpayers’ money and damage the integrity
of Nigeria’s justice system.
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