Close Menu
Arogidigba Global JournalArogidigba Global Journal
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • National
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

Women scientists honour Malaria advocate

May 21, 2025

Recruit Corps members into security agencies

May 21, 2025

NAPTAN raises alarm over moves to form parallel executives within association

May 21, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram WhatsApp Telegram
  • About Us
  • Advert Rate
  • Get In Touch
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram WhatsApp Telegram
Arogidigba Global JournalArogidigba Global Journal
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • National
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
Subscribe
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram WhatsApp Telegram
Arogidigba Global JournalArogidigba Global Journal
You are at:Home»Featured»Yahaya Bello petitions IGP over alleged defamation
Featured

Yahaya Bello petitions IGP over alleged defamation

April 16, 2025No Comments6 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp

Former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over alleged defamatory statements made against him by the suspended senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In the petition, written and signed by his solicitor, Mr N.A. Abubakar Esq., to the IGP on Wednesday, Bello called on the Nigeria Police Force under the IGP’s leadership to invite Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to substantiate her allegations against him with credible evidence.

“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 lawyer wrote.

He stated that the utterances made against the former governor were not only false, reckless, and inciting, but “they constitute serious criminal defamation, false accusation, and incitement to public disorder, all of which are offences under Nigerian law.”

The former governor has also written to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, through his counsel, Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN & Co., demanding a retraction and public apology over defamatory statements made against him in two national dailies, or face legal consequences.

“Our client’s attention has been drawn to a most disturbing, damaging, and criminally defamatory statement made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, during her public address at a political event tagged ‘Homecoming Rally’ held on Tuesday, 1st April, 2025, in Okehi LGA of Kogi State.

“That while addressing attendees at the rally, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan falsely and maliciously uttered the following words in reference to our client: ‘(Senate President Godswill) Akpabio sent for Yahaya Bello. And it was actually Senator Asuquo from Cross River that drove Yahaya Bello from Hilton Hotel.

“I was informed of everything and what I got to know of the meeting was in two folds. He told him to commence my recall and that he was going to fund it—of course, monies changed hands that night.

“The second thing he told him was that he should try and kill me. I didn’t make this public, but I wrote to the IG of Police. Akpabio told Yahaya Bello. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, that it should be done here, so it would seem as if it’s the people that killed me here…’

“These utterances are not only false, reckless, and inciting, but they constitute serious criminal defamation, false accusation, and incitement to public disorder, all of which are offences under Nigerian law,” Bello’s lawyer, Abubakar, wrote in the petition to the IGP.

He cited Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, which penalises a person who knowingly or intentionally sends false messages or information through a computer or network likely to cause harm to the reputation of another person.

He added that, in Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case, she caused videos of her statement to be widely circulated online, where they have continued to trend to date, with the clear intention of causing harm to the reputation of the former governor. This act contravenes Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code (applicable in Northern Nigeria), which criminalises giving false information with intent to mislead public officers or the public.

“By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator in a purported murder plot (with an attempt to disguise the killing as mob or ethnic violence), Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has:

“Gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor, misled the public, and tried to incite ethnic and political distrust, especially among clans of Ebiraland in particular and the people of Kogi Central in general.”

“Brought his name into disrepute on the basis of an allegation so weighty that, if left unchallenged, could harm his political career and personal safety; and abused her parliamentary status and platform by propagating such falsehoods without evidence, in a very public and politically charged setting,” the solicitor stated.

He added: “Our client states that he has long considered Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as unhinged and apparently possessed of a schizophrenic disorder, characterised by manic narcissism, wild hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking, and an incurable incontinence with emotions and social interactions—hence his patient indulgence of her in the past while he was Governor of Kogi State, when he restrained himself many times from seeking legal redress even though she frequently harassed him in the media with all sorts of horrible and damaging lies.

“Our client, however, asserts that he has long ended his stewardship of Kogi State as Governor and moved on to other pursuits—and that he no longer feels the same duty of paternalistic indulgence which he had for all Kogites as his citizens while in office, and still exhibits to this day. Hence his insistence on full redress for her (Akpoti-Uduaghan’s) current accusations which, as usual, are totally fabricated and utterly baseless.”

He urged the IGP to expedite action on the petition, stating that “failure to act in the circumstances of these egregious offences by Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan will embolden others to also weaponise political platforms for dangerous falsehoods and criminal misrepresentation, especially with an eye to gaining dishonest advantage over opponents, thus endangering our democracy.”

According to him, this is necessary “to preserve public order, safeguard the integrity of public discourse, and protect innocent persons from targeted smear campaigns that can endanger lives or destabilise the peace of the state and nation.”

Bello’s lawyers, led by Chief R.O. Balogun, SAN, in a separate letter written to the embattled senator, stated: “We hereby demand, on behalf of our client, the following:

  • That you issue a formal retraction of the said defamatory statements, to be published in two national dailies.

  • That you cease and desist from making any further defamatory statements concerning him, whether directly or by innuendo, and whether published in print, electronic, or social media platforms.

  • That you comply in terms of the foregoing within fourteen days of the service of this letter on you.

“TAKE NOTICE that failure, refusal, or neglect to comply with the above demands within the period of FOURTEEN DAYS (14) from the date this letter is served on you, our client will set the necessary machinery in motion to initiate both civil and criminal proceedings against you without further notice.”

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Featured
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
Previous ArticleDelta govt launches MPCDSR report, decries child mortality rates
Next Article Rivers High Court disowns ‘judgment’ against emergency rule

Related Posts

Women scientists honour Malaria advocate

May 21, 2025

Recruit Corps members into security agencies

May 21, 2025

NAPTAN raises alarm over moves to form parallel executives within association

May 21, 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Ads />
</a></div>		</div>

		</div>
		<div id=
Latest Posts

Women scientists honour Malaria advocate

May 21, 20250 Views

Recruit Corps members into security agencies

May 21, 20250 Views

NAPTAN raises alarm over moves to form parallel executives within association

May 21, 20250 Views

FCT: Wike earmarks N383.5bn for construction of 14 major roads

May 21, 20250 Views
Don't Miss

Danish Embassy, Danish Veterinary And Food Agency, Partner NAFDAC To Combat Antimicrobial Resisitance

By Arogidigba Global JournalDecember 8, 2024

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC in its quest to…

CAN disburses 600 baggage of rice to Jigawa Christians

January 6, 2024

Court Nullifies Rivers 2024 Budget, Bars Fubara From Interfering In Assembly Matters

January 22, 2024

OSIEC chairmanship: I am no longer PDP member – Hashim Abioye

January 12, 2024

Senate In Rowdy Session As Lawmaker Claims ‘Older’ Senators Got N500m For Projects

March 12, 2024
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from Arogidigba Global Journal

About Us
About Us

AROGIDIGBA GLOBAL NEWS…something of stupendous magnitude is a digital newspaper platform published by AROGIDIGBA MEDIA LIMITED. We are accessed all over the world on the various social media. As an independent News Organization, we are purposefully positioned to serve the Nigerian audience and the world with credible news reports and shrewd analyses.

Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube WhatsApp Reddit
Latest News

Women scientists honour Malaria advocate

May 21, 2025

NAPTAN raises alarm over moves to form parallel executives within association

May 21, 2025

FCT: Wike earmarks N383.5bn for construction of 14 major roads

May 21, 2025
Editor's Pick

Nigeria retains 56% of oil industry spend as local content deepens

May 21, 20250 Views

Reps move to boost power generation, pledge support for Egbin Power

May 21, 20250 Views

NMDPRA limits fuel trucks to 45,000 liters by Q4 2025

May 21, 20250 Views
© 2025 Arogidigba Global Journal slot in sentence
  • Home
  • Latest News

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Ad Blocker Enabled!
Ad Blocker Enabled!
Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker.