Alleged Defamation: Natasha Akpoti Files N5bn Suit Against Nwaebonyi

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The senator representing Kogi central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a N5 billion suit against fellow colleague, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, concerning an alleged defamation.

The suit was filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan via her lawyer, Michael Jonathan Numa, at the federal capital territory high court.

In the suit, the lawmaker asked the court to declare that the statements made by Nwaebonyi, senator representing Ebonyi north, in an interview on Channels Television on March 6, 2025, are false and malicious.

Akpoti-Uduaghan stated that the Ebonyi lawmaker described her a “gold digger, habitual liar, and habitual blackmailer” in the interview.

The Kogi senator enjoined the court to rule that the comments alleging that she is “a mother of six from different men” is false, malicious, and defamatory.

She stated that Nwaebonyi’s statements had caused damage to her reputation and embarrassment in the eyes of the public.

She further pleaded with the court to restrain her Ebonyi counterpart from making any further malicious comments against her.

She tasked the court to rule that Nwaebonyi pays her the sum of N5 billion as “aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the claimant for the false, malicious and injurious statement”.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies or any one called from further publishing or causing to be published the words complained of or any other defamatory words concerning the Claimant,” the court documents read.

“An order of this Honourable Court compelling the Defendant to retract the defamatory words on the same platforms used to make the defamatory publications and tender an unreserved apology in at least two national newspapers electronically and vide print media circulated nationwide within 7 days from the day of the delivery of the judgment of this Honourable Court.

“An order of this Honourable Court awarding the sum of N5 billion only, against the Defendant being aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the Claimant for the false, malicious and injurious statements that have since caused the Claimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress.

“An order of this Honourable Court awarding post-judgment interest on the judgment sum awarded to the Claimant at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully liquidated.

“The defendant’s characterization of the claimant as a ‘mother of six from different men’ is baseless, malicious, and indeed reckless.

“The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power.

“The claimant is not spoiling the chance of women in politics as falsely alleged, rather she is inspiring women to be bold in their quest for politics and good governance.”

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