Another dimension has been introduced to the current crisis in the National Assembly as the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagha, has raised the alarm that her official telephone line has been cloned and was being fraudulently utilised to intimidate some prominent Nigerians.
In a petition to the Director of the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force, Abuja, through her lawyers, M. J. Numa and Partners, dated June 4, 2025, Akpoti-Udughan said the “unknown persons are impersonating her personality to make unsolicited calls and deliver messages pretending to have originated from her.”
She added that the deployment of advanced cyber tools collectively suggested the existence of “a coordinated attempt to compromise” her identity and possibly mislead and manipulate prominent persons, using her name and reputation, and called for the commencement of full-scale investigation and forensic analysis of all activities linked to her phone with the view to unmasking and prosecuting the culprits.
In the petition titled: “Disclaimer Regarding Illegal Cloning and Unathorised Use of Our client’s (Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagha) Phone Number,” signed by Barr. Michael Jonathan Numa, she said: “the development is not only alarming, but also constitutes a gross violation of her privacy and a potential breach of her privacy and a potential breach of national security.”
Some of the notable politicians who have been contacted in the process, she said included former presidential adviser, Senator Ben Obi, former governor of Edo State and one-time chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the CEO of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyeama, Hon. Emmanuel Ukon and journalist Seun Okinbaloye of Channels Television.
While the female Senator stated the receipt of a call from the Area Commander of Maitama District in Abuja, claiming to be returning her call, Barr. Numa added that a senior member of the Bar, Chief Ifedayo Adams Adedipe, SAN, once alleged he received a call, ostensibly from Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
She disclaimed those messages and calls, wanting the said phone calls, messages or other communications which appeared to have emanated from her or “which purports to have been made by her but are not directly verified” to be treated with extreme caution and disregarded.
Natasha expressed readiness to make her device and other communication devices available for expert examination where necessary.
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