kogi Court awards N1bn damages against Natasha for defaming ex-Gov Yahaya Bello

The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has awarded N1 billion in damages against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in a defamation suit filed by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

The decision is contained in a Certified True Copy of the judgment dated April 23, 2026.

Delivering judgment in the suit marked HCL/16/2023, Justice A. S. Ibrahim held that the claimant had successfully proved his case based on the preponderance of evidence.

According to the court, statements made by the defendant during an appearance on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on November 4, 2022, were defamatory.

“The interview granted by the defendant on 4/11/2022 on Arise TV programme, The Morning Show, is defamatory to the claimant’s character and reputation,” the judge ruled.

The court further held that the allegations made during the interview lacked justification.

“The said interview… in which the defendant described the claimant as a murderer, killer, perpetrator of evil acts, and a terror to the people of Kogi State was without justification,” the court stated.

In addition to the damages, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant and her associates from making further defamatory statements against the claimant across media platforms.

“An order of perpetual injunction is hereby granted against the defendant, her agents, privies or associates from further publication of defamatory statements against the claimant on television or radio,” the court ruled.

The court also awarded:

“The sum of one billion naira (N1,000,000,000) only as damages in favour of the claimant.”

The case stemmed from a defamation suit filed by Mr Bello following the televised interview.

During proceedings, counsel to the defendant, Johnson J. Usman, SAN, had challenged the jurisdiction of the court, arguing that the suit constituted an abuse of court process. However, counsel to the claimant, Friday Ekpa, maintained that the matter was properly before the court.

The High Court had earlier ruled in favour of its jurisdiction, a decision that was subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal in suit number CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024, which dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.

With the ruling, the court affirmed both its jurisdiction and the claimant’s case, bringing the protracted legal battle to a decisive close.