Alleged Cybercrime: Court defers Natasha’s trial to Oct 20

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, deferred full-blown hearing of the six-count cybercrime charge the Federal Government preferred against the suspended Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, till October 20.

The scheduled hearing was stalled by a fresh application the defendant filed to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to try her.

At the resumed proceeding in the matter, FG’s lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, told the court that his witness was available for the commencement of the trial.

However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s team of lawyer led by Mr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, drew attention of the court to a preliminary objection his client filed to challenge its jurisdiction to hear the case.

He told the court that the objection was centers on alleged abuse of the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice.

More so, the defence counsel complained that the prosecution failed to serve him with copies of full statements of the proposed witnesses.

He contended that section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, made it compulsory that the defendant must be served with the proof of evidence to enable her to effectively prepare her defence to the charge.

On his part, FG’s lawyer argued that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s objection was not sufficient to stall the scheduled commencement of your trial.

He urged the court to allow the prosecution to open its case, insisting that the court has the requisite jurisdiction to hear cybercrime charge.

“We have exercised our prosecutorial powers according to both the Constitution and the Cybercrime law. The AGF has the power to prefer charge against anyone, ” Kaswe added.

In a brief ruling, Justice Mohammed Umar held that he would hear the objection first before taking further steps in the case.

Specifically, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was earlier handed a six-month suspension by the Senate, was in the charge marked: CR/297/25, alleged to have made false assassination claim.

The defendant was said to have made an allegation that some politicians opposed to her were plotting to assassinate her.

According to FG, the lawmaker committed the alleged crime when she addressed her supporters in Kogi state and on April 3, during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

She was specifically accused of naming the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and a former governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as participants in the meeting where the plot to eliminate her was hatched.

FG told the court that the defendant insisted that both Akpabio and Bello agreed that she should be eliminated in Kogi state under circumstances that would appear as a mob action.

She was accused of causing the false allegation to be transmitted, knowing it would harm the reputation of both Senator Akpabio and ex-governor Bello, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

The defendant had on June 30 when she was arraigned before the court, pleaded her innocence to the charge, even as she was granted bail on self-recognition.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory at Maitama, where she was equally docked for allegedly defaming Senator Akpabio and ex-governor Bello, had on June 19, granted her bail to the tune of N50million with one surety it said must be a person of integrity that owns a landed property in Abuja.

The court, in the ruling that was delivered by Justice Chizoba Orji, said its decision to release the defendant on bail was anchored on section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as sections 163 and 165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

It fixed September 23 for commencement of trial.

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