The Kogi State High Court has awarded N1 billion in damages to former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, in a defamation suit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Delivering judgment in suit No. HCL/16/2023, the court resolved all issues in favour of Bello, ruling that he successfully established his claims on the balance of probabilities.
The court held that statements made by the senator during a November 4, 2022 interview on The Morning Show, aired on Arise TV, were defamatory and harmful to Bello’s reputation.
Specifically, the court found that describing the former governor as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “perpetrator of evil acts” was unjustified and constituted a serious attack on his character.
As part of its ruling, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti-Uduaghan, her agents, and associates from making further defamatory statements against Bello on any media platform.
In addition to the injunction, the court awarded N1 billion in damages to the former governor.
The suit, filed in 2023, initially faced a jurisdictional challenge from the defence, which argued that it amounted to an abuse of court process.
However, Bello’s legal team maintained that related cases before the Federal Capital Territory High Court did not directly involve him.
The High Court affirmed its jurisdiction, a position later upheld by the Court of Appeal, which dismissed the senator’s appeal in case No. CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024 for lacking merit.
