Federal Government Withdraws Criminal Case Against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

The Federal Government of Nigeria has formally withdrawn the criminal case it instituted against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

A Notice of Discontinuance was filed in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, in which the Federal Government was listed as the complainant and Akpoti-Uduaghan as the defendant.

Legal Basis for Withdrawal

The notice, dated December 12, 2025, was filed pursuant to Sections 108(1), 108(2)(a), and 108(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. It stated that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had decided to discontinue the prosecution.

The document was signed by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, and Aderonke Imana, Assistant Chief State Counsel, on behalf of the Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Court records show that the Federal High Court, Abuja, received and acknowledged the notice on December 15, 2025, while a Certified True Copy was issued by the court registry on December 18, 2025.

Connection to Akpabio’s Defamation Suit

The withdrawal comes amid broader legal developments involving Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, who had earlier announced that he instructed his lawyers to discontinue all defamation-related cases filed against various individuals.

Recall that in December 2025, Akpabio instituted a ₦200 billion defamation suit against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan at the FCT High Court, Abuja, following allegations of sexual harassment made against him.

Implications

With the Federal Government formally ending the criminal prosecution, the legal pressure on the Kogi Central senator has significantly eased. The development also adds to ongoing political and legal conversations surrounding the defamation disputes involving senior political figures.

As of the time of filing this report, no official reason beyond the notice of discontinuance has been provided by the Attorney-General’s office for the decision to withdraw the case.