Abuja — The Federal Government has filed a five-count criminal defamation charge against Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, over alleged defamatory comments against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central.
The case, marked CR/547/2025, was instituted before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, by Mohamed Babadoko Abubakar, Director of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
According to the charge sheet dated September 11, 2025, Senator Nwebonyi—who also serves as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and is a close ally of Senate President Godswill Akpabio—allegedly made the offensive statements between March 3 and 29, 2025, during appearances on several national television platforms, including Arise Television, Channels TV, TVC News, and News Central TV.
The prosecution alleges that the senator made a series of malicious and disparaging remarks intended to damage the reputation of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. Among the statements cited was his description of her as “a habitual accuser” and “a woman who uses her gender as a weapon.”
He was further quoted as saying:
“This woman is a known blackmailer, and people should be very careful with this woman.”
The Federal Government contends that the statements were “capable of exposing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule.”
The charge sheet further accuses Nwebonyi of making personal attacks, including referring to Akpoti-Uduaghan as “a mother of six from different men” and questioning her moral character—remarks that, according to prosecutors, contravene Section 391 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the FCT, and are punishable under Section 392 of the same Act.
The first count specifically references Nwebonyi’s comments during a March 3, 2025 live broadcast of NewsDay on Arise Television, in which he allegedly said:
“This is an attempt to discredit the Senate President, and this is not the first time this woman is doing this.
This is a woman that has accused Yahaya Bello of sexual harassment… Reno Omokri… and even a Minister. Are you the only woman in Nigeria, Senator Natasha? What is wrong with you?
This is madness. Nigerian women should rise against this.”
He reportedly went further to say:
“Who are you? A mother of six from different men… and you think her character is not questionable? I’m going to her character—she has to change! We should condemn evil. I’m a Christian.”
The prosecution maintains that Nwebonyi “knew or had reason to believe” that his statements would harm the reputation of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a sitting lawmaker of the 10th Senate, and that he acted “maliciously and with reckless disregard for the truth.”
Counts two to five of the charge mirror the first, citing similar remarks allegedly made by Nwebonyi on other television platforms within the same period.
If convicted, the senator faces penalties prescribed under Section 392 of the Penal Code Act, which include imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The case has been scheduled for hearing at the FCT High Court, where Senator Nwebonyi is expected to enter his plea and respond to the allegations.
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