Alleged Cybercrime: Court Adjourns Akpoti–Uduaghan‘s Trial

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Monday, fixed the trial of Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for alleged cybercrime for 4 February 2026.

The case could not go on due to the absence of Justice Mohammed Umar.

The case has been further fixed for 4 February 2025 for the commencement of the trial.
At the last adjourned date on Oct. 21, the case did not hold due to the protest organised by Mr Omoyele Sowore to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, who was convicted for terrorism offences last week.
Justice Umar had, on September 22, fixed October 21 for the hearing after the trial was stalled due to an objection raised by the defendant.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on June 30 on a six-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar.
She was granted bail, following which Justice Umar adjourned the trial until September 22.

However, on the last adjourned date, when the prosecuting lawyer, David Kaswe, was about to open his case by calling the 1st witness, the defence lawyer objected.

The development was after a television screen had been mounted in the courtroom, preparatory to the commencement of proceedings.

The defence lawyer, Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, had expressed concern about the possibility of the prosecution opening 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 stated that the objection was not to the nature of the charge, but to 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 objection filed by the defendant 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.

The judge said he intended first to determine the objection raised by the defence before taking any further steps in the case.

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, 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.