Court Awards N1bn to Yahaya Bello in Defamation Case

The Kogi State High Court ruled in favor of former Governor Yahaya Bello, awarding him N1 billion in damages in a defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan. The case, identified as suit no HCL 16 2023, concluded that Akpoti had successfully proven her case against Bello, who was described in her statements as a "murderer" and a "killer" during an interview on Arise TV's Morning Show on November 4, 2022.

The court determined that Akpoti's remarks constituted a violation of Bello's character and reputation, thus justifying the award of damages. Additionally, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining Akpoti and her associates from making further defamatory statements about Bello on any broadcast platform.

The lawsuit, filed in 2023, faced jurisdictional challenges, but the court upheld its authority to hear the case, later affirmed by the Court of Appeal in Nigeria (appeal no CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024), which dismissed Akpoti's appeal for lack of merit.