By Nigerian News24 staff
The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over alleged defamatory and inciting statements made against him by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
In a petition dated Wednesday and signed by his solicitor, N.A. Abubakar, Bello described the senator’s comments as “false, reckless, and inciting,” alleging that they constitute criminal defamation, false accusation, and incitement to public disorder—offences punishable under Nigerian law.
The petition calls on the Nigeria Police Force to invite Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to provide credible evidence substantiating her claims. Should she fail to do so, the former governor warned that she may face arrest and prosecution.
Bello, through his legal team led by Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN, has also issued a formal demand letter to the senator, urging her to retract the statements and issue a public apology. Failure to comply, the letter states, will result in legal action.
The petition references comments allegedly made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan during a political rally on April 1, 2025, in Okehi LGA, Kogi State. According to Bello’s legal counsel, the senator accused him of participating in a plot to initiate her recall and of conspiring to assassinate her—claims she publicly linked to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Asuquo from Cross River.
The petition quotes her as saying:
“Akpabio told Yahaya Bello to commence my recall and fund it… The second thing he told him was to try and kill me. I didn’t make this public, but I wrote to the IGP. Akpabio told him it should not happen in Abuja, but in Kogi, so it would look like it was the people who did it…”
Abubakar emphasized that these remarks, which were widely circulated online, were made without evidence and were designed to damage the former governor’s reputation, mislead the public, and incite political and ethnic tensions. He cited Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act (2015) as well as Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code, which prohibit spreading false information with intent to mislead or incite.
“These statements not only portray our client as a violent political actor but are capable of endangering public peace and his personal safety,” the petition reads.
Bello’s legal team urged the IGP to act swiftly, warning that failure to do so would set a dangerous precedent, allowing political figures to weaponize falsehoods and public platforms to discredit opponents and destabilize democratic processes.