Natasha Akpoti challenges court’s jurisdiction in ‘cybercrime’ case, cites abuse of AGF’s powers

The trial of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, on charges bordering on cybercrime could not proceed on Monday following an objection raised by her legal team.

On June 30, the office of the director of public prosecution of the federation (DPPF) arraigned Akpoti-Uduaghan before a federal high court in Abuja on a six-count charge.

The court granted the lawmaker bail after pleading not guilty and fixed the trial to open on September 22.

At the court session on Monday, David Kaswe, counsel for the prosecution, told the court he was ready to call the first witness and had set up equipment (television) for the presentation of evidence.

However, Ehiogie West-Idahosa, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, cited a preliminary objection filed on behalf of his client, challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

West-Idahosa argued that the objection was not against the content of the charge itself but against the “abuse of the prosecutorial powers of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF)”.

The defence also expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of service of prosecution witness statements.

Although Kaswe urged the court to allow the prosecution to proceed despite the objection, Mohammed Umar, the presiding judge, held that the preliminary objection must first be determined.

He adjourned the matter to October 20 for hearing of the application.

In the charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan was alleged to have transmitted false and injurious information via electronic means with the intention to malign, incite, and endanger lives and breach public order.

Among the details of the charge is the allegation that, while speaking at a gathering on April 4, 2025, in Ihima, Kogi state, she claimed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed Yahaya Bello, the former governor, to have her killed during the tour.

She was also alleged to have, in a television interview, repeated similar claims, to the effect that the senate president and the former Kogi governor plotted to kill her in her state.