Alleged cybercrime: Court shifts Natasha’s trial to Feb 4

The trial of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on charges of alleged cybercrime at a Federal High Court in Abuja has been rescheduled to February 4, 2026.

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, had previously set Monday, November 24, as the date to commence the trial. However, a court official informed reporters that the judge would not be available to hear the case on that date and announced that the new date for the trial would be February 4, 2026.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was arraigned on June 30 on six counts brought by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar.

Following her arraignment, she was granted bail, and Justice Umar adjourned the case until September 22 to begin the trial.

On the last adjourned date, when the prosecuting lawyer, David Kaswe, was about to present his first witness, the defense lawyer, Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, raised an objection, expressing concerns about the prosecution’s ability to open its case.

West-Idahosa told the court that a notice of preliminary objection to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case had already been filed.

He said the objection is not to the nature of the charge, but the alleged abuse of the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

The lawyer also complained about not being served with copies of the statements of the prosecution witnesses.

Although Kaswe argued that the defendant’s objection should not be allowed to stall the court’s business for the day, Justice Umar insisted that the prosecution must first respond to the objection.

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

The senator was alleged to have, while addressing a gathering on April 4 in Ihima, Kogi State, accused the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of instructing the former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi to have her killed in the state.

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

The charge was brought against her under the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, etc (Amendment) Act 2024.

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