Lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial district in Kogi State, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a lawsuit amounting to ₦5.1 billion against Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi for alleged defamation.
In case No: CV/1359/25, submitted to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, through her legal representatives led by Michael Jonathan Numa, SAN, Senator Natasha asserts that on March 6, 2025, during an appearance on the Channels TV Sunrise Daily program, Senator Nwaebonyi falsely labeled her as a “gold digger,” “habitual liar,” and “habitual blackmailer.”
The suspended Senator contends that these statements are “false, malicious, defamatory, actionable per se,” and have caused significant harm or have the potential to harm her reputation.
The affected senator emphasized that the Defendant’s remarks have led to considerable distress and embarrassment, which have tarnished her public image and diminished her esteem among the public and her supporters.
The lawsuit, initiated through a Writ of Summons, is filed under Order 2 Rule 2 of the ‘FCT High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2025, and was lodged on April 7, 2025. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is requesting the court to declare that the contested statements do not constitute a valid exercise of the Defendant’s freedom of speech and expression.
Her reliefs against the Defendant among others are: “A DECLARATION that the statements made and published by the Defendant during an interview on or about the 6th day of March, 2025, on Channels TV Sunrise Daily program where the Claimant was falsely branded as a “gold digger,” “habitual liar,” “habitual blackmailer,” are false, malicious, defamatory, actionable per se, and has therefore caused significant and/or capable of causing harm to the Claimant’s reputation, resulting in considerable distress and embarrassment which has lowered and/or aimed to lower the Claimant’s standing in the eyes of the public and diminished her esteemed in the eyes of the Public and her admirers.
“A DECLARATION that the following words: “”Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is a gold digger,” “habitual liar,” “habitual blackmailer,” were maliciously and falsely published by the Defendant against the Claimant during the Channels TV Sunrise Daily program on or about the 6th March, 2025, to millions of viewers of worldwide on Channels Television, as well as to member of public within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, are highly defamatory to the Claimant’s character and reputation.
“A DECLARATION that the statement made and published by the Defendant during an interview on or about the 3rd day of March, 2025, on Arise News TV, accusing the Claimant of being “a mother of six from different men,” is false, malicious, defamatory, actionable per se and has injured and/or capable of injuring the Claimant’s character, prestige, pedigree, and reputation in the estimation of the Public and her admirers.
“A DECLARATION that the following words as contained in the Youtube link 9-2 pVYIzU22 thus: “”This woman is spoiling game for women who want to enter politics Are you the only woman in Nigeria Senator Natasha!? What is wrong with you?”
“A DECLARATION that the following words (as contained in the YouTube Video link of News Central TV Reportage- L UAR-IIFOQRh dated 27th March, 2027):
“Even her present husband she married her, out of, out of, out of something like this, she threatened to sue the man, I have a letter circulating over the world that the man should pay her 10 billion or marry her. The man had to marry her under duress. So this.. the marriage was under duress, another product of blackmail.”
The case reads further: “She accused Reno Omokri of sexual harassment during the time of Goodluck Jonathan as president when the young man was already in the United States attending to national issues. Upon the slightest provocation, she would come up with allegations of sexual harassment….”
Even her present husband-he married her out of things like this. She threatened to sue the man.” were maliciously and falsely published by the Defendant against the Claimant on the 27th March, 2025 to all the viewers on YouTube and the entire public within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, are highly defamatory and injurious to the Claimant.
“A DECLARATION that the different publications complained above are false, malicious, unjustified, injurious, scornful, distasteful, unsavory, and have exposed and/or capable of exposing the Claimant to public odium, ridicule and disdain both nationally and internationally.
“A DECLARATION that the words complained of do not constitute a valid exercise by the Defendant of his freedom of speech and expression.
“AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies or anyone howsoever called from further publishing or causing to be published the words complained of or any other defamatory words concerning the Claimant.
“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 ₩5,000,000,000.00 (Five Billion Naira) 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% (Ten percent) per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully liquidated.
“Cost of this action accessed at #100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) only.
“FOR such further order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”
