Court Orders Sen. Akpoti to Pay Bello N1bn for Defamation

On April 23, 2023, the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja ruled in favor of former governor Yahaya Bello, ordering Sen. Natasha Akpoti to pay N1 billion in damages for defamation. The case stemmed from comments made by Akpoti during an interview on November 4, 2022, where she described Bello as a "murderer" and a "killer" who perpetrated evil acts against the people of Kogi State without justification.

Justice S. Ibrahim presided over the case, which concluded that Akpoti's statements were defamatory and damaging to Bello's reputation.

The court issued a strict order preventing Akpoti from making further defamatory comments and granted a perpetual injunction against her and her associates. Akpoti's counsel, Johnson J.

Usman, challenged the court's jurisdiction and argued that the suit was an abuse of court process; however, Bello's lawyer, Fridai Ekpa, insisted the case was properly filed. Akpoti has since appealed the decision, but the appellate court upheld the ruling, dismissing her appeal for lack of merit.