The Kogi State High Court has ordered Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to pay N1 billion in damages to former governor Yahaya Bello over a defamation case.
In a judgment dated April 23, the court ruled in favour of Bello, stating that the evidence presented supported his claims. Justice A. S. Ibrahim held that statements made by the senator during a television interview in November 2022 were damaging to the former governor’s reputation and were not justified.
The court found that the remarks, which included serious allegations against Bello, were defamatory. It subsequently issued a perpetual injunction restraining the senator and her associates from making further such statements on any media platform.
In addition to the injunction, the court awarded N1 billion in damages to Bello.
The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the former governor, while the senator’s legal team had initially challenged the court’s jurisdiction. However, the court dismissed the objection, and the decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeal, which affirmed that the Kogi State High Court had the authority to hear the matter.
