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Summary
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a ₦5.1 billion defamation lawsuit against Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi. She is asking the court to declare his defamatory remarks, including calling her a "gold digger" and a "habitual liar," false, malicious, and not protected by freedom of speech. She is also seeking damages, public retraction, and an apology.
Senator Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, has filed a ₦5.1 billion lawsuit against Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi for alleged defamation.
According to Sahara Reporters, the suit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in the Abuja Judicial Division, is marked Suit No: CV/1359/25. Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Michael Jonathan Numa, is seeking redress for what she describes as a series of false, malicious, and defamatory statements made by Onyekachi Nwaebonyi.
According to the court filings, the defamatory remarks were made on March 6, 2025, during Senator Nwaebonyi’s appearance on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily programme. During the interview, he reportedly referred to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as a “gold digger,” “habitual liar,” and “habitual blackmailer.”
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan described the remarks as defamatory and injurious, claiming they have caused significant distress, embarrassment, and have diminished her reputation in the eyes of the public.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is asking the court to declare Senator Nwaebonyi’s statements as false, malicious, and defamatory. She also wants the court to rule that his remarks are not protected under freedom of speech, as they have exposed her to public ridicule and disgrace within and outside Nigeria.
The unconstitutionally suspended Senator further cited additional instances of defamation, including statements reportedly made by Nwaebonyi on Arise News TV on March 3, 2025, in which she was described as “a mother of six from different men.”
Other cited defamatory statements include,
“This woman is spoiling the game for women who want to enter politics. Are you the only woman in Nigeria, Senator Natasha!? What is wrong with you?” which was reportedly made in a YouTube video.
She also referenced a comment that implied her husband married her under duress, stating,
“Even her present husband… she threatened to sue the man. The man had to marry her under duress… another product of blackmail.”
Furthermore, she noted that Nwaebonyi accused her of falsely claiming sexual harassment against Reno Omokri during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, describing her as someone who makes such allegations upon the slightest provocation.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is seeking a perpetual injunction to stop Senator Nwaebonyi and his associates from making further defamatory statements against her. She also demands ₦5 billion in damages, ₦100 million in legal costs, and post-judgment interest at 10% per annum for the harm caused to her reputation and emotional well-being.
Also, in a separate incident, Senator Nwaebonyi was also reported to have launched a sexist attack on former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, during Senator Natasha’s hearing held on March 26, 2025, further intensifying the controversy surrounding his conduct.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan maintains that the statements in question have severely affected her character, reputation, and emotional well-being, and she is determined to pursue justice through the legal process.
