Natasha: I’ve evidence to prove my assassination case against Yahaya Bello as she accuses Akpabio of gun attack

The suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Thursday, said she has enough evidence to back up the assassination allegation levelled against former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello.

Natasha said this through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, in an interview with Punch.

“They should calm down and allow the police to do their job. There is already a petition to that effect with the IGP,” Giwa stated. “To show that it wasn’t a mere allegation, Natasha has enough evidence to back up her point.”

Recall that former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday petitioned the Inspector General of Police over alleged defamatory statements made against him by Natasha.

The petition, signed by Bello’s solicitor, Mr. N.A. Abubakar, followed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claim that the former governor and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, were allegedly plotting to assassinate her—a statement that has since drawn widespread rebuttals.

Natasha had, during a recent constituency visit to Okehi, alleged that Akpabio sought Bello’s help to “assassinate her in Kogi State rather than in Abuja.”

This as she claimed on Thursday that the senate President, Godswill Akpabio may have been the assassination attempt on her life.

Reacting to the attack on her family house in Obeiba-Ihima, Kogi State, on Tuesday night, Natasha said the attackers stormed her ancestral home believing she was around.

She confirmed that the armed men damaged windows in her late grandfather’s residence before they were chased away by security agents and some community members.

According to her, the incident happened shortly after her younger brother visited the area with some contractors to inspect locations for projects she had brought to the district.

The Senator said the attackers may have mistaken his presence for hers, leading to the invasion that night.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the case was reported to the police.

Senator Natasha linked the attack to her ongoing dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

She said the invasion may be a form of retaliation over recent allegations she made against him.

She had publicly accused the Senate President of sexual harassment, sparking a wave of controversy within political circles.

The lawmaker demanded her full security team to be restored and urged the police to take up the case without delay.

She appealed to the public to remain calm as the matter is being looked into.

The Senator has also stated that the attack will not stop her from doing her work or standing for the people she represents.

The Kogi State Government promptly dismissed the claim as unfounded and inciting.

Meanwhile, in his petition against Apoti-Uduaghan, Bello urged the police to invite her for questioning and to compel her to produce credible evidence to back her claims.

“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance, and spreading false information injurious to public peace,” the petition read.

Bello’s legal team described Natasha’s statements as “false, reckless, and inciting,” contending that they amount to criminal defamation and incitement under Nigerian law.

A second letter from Bello’s other counsel, Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN & Co, further demanded a public retraction and apology for the statements published in two national dailies.

“Our client’s attention has been drawn to a most disturbing, damaging and criminally defamatory statement made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan during her public address at a political event tagged ‘Homecoming Rally’ on April 1, 2025, in Okehi LGA,” the letter read.

Citing Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 and Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code, Bello’s lawyer, Abubakar, argued that the senator’s online dissemination of the allegations further aggravated the harm to his reputation.

“By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator in a purported murder plot, Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has gravely damaged our client’s reputation, misled the public, and attempted to incite ethnic and political distrust,” he said.

Bello’s team warned that failure to act would set a dangerous precedent, potentially encouraging others to exploit political platforms to spread misinformation and incite unrest.