Alleged defamation: Yahaya Bello petitions IGP, demands arrest of Senator Natasha

Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has formally petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, urging the arrest and prosecution of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over what he described as defamatory statements made against him.

The petition, signed by his legal counsel, N. A. Abubakar, accuses the senator of making false and damaging claims that tarnished Bello’s image. Bello has called on the police to invite Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to provide evidence to support her allegations.

“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,” Bello stated.

“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), Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has:

“Gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor, and 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,” he added.