The Kogi State High Court has awarded N1 billion in damages to former Yahaya Bello in a defamation suit against Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Delivering judgment in suit No. HCL/16/2023, the court resolved all issues for determination in favour of Bello, holding that the claimant successfully proved his case on the balance of probabilities.
The court ruled that an interview granted by Akpoti-Uduaghan on November 4, 2022, during The Morning Show, aired on Arise TV, was defamatory and damaging to Bello’s reputation.
According to the court, the senator’s description of Bello as a “murderer,” “killer,” and “perpetrator of evil acts” was unjustified and constituted a violation of his character.
Consequently, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the senator, her agents, or associates from making further defamatory statements against Bello on any broadcast platform.
In addition to the injunction, the court awarded N1 billion in damages in favour of the former governor.
The suit, filed in 2023, initially faced a jurisdictional challenge by the defence, which argued that the case amounted to an abuse of court process.
However, Bello’s counsel maintained that related matters before the FCT High Court did not involve the claimant directly.
The High Court upheld its jurisdiction, a decision later affirmed by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria in appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/626/2024, which dismissed the senator’s appeal for lacking merit.
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