News
Natasha: Sexual harassment case opens, as court summon Akpabio, Nwaebonyi
Justices Abubakar Idris Kutigi and A.O. Otaluka, both of the Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have separately summoned Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, as the legal battle with Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan suspended Senator representing Kogi Central District at the National Assembly, finally gets underway.
The cases which are centred on allegations of sexual harassment, defamation and the violation fundamental rights, are parts of a series of events sparked off by the confrontation between the female Senator and Akpabio on February 20 over the rearrangement of seats in the Red Chambers.
Kutigi, who is handling suit no: FCT/HC/CV/754/2025, apart from granting leave to Akpoti-Uduaghan, to serve the writ of summons and other court processes on Akpabio in person and in his official capacity as Senate President, also ordered that Mfon Patrick, senior legislative aide to Akpabio, and the Clerk of the NASS be served accordingly.
The court, which made the others after listening to U.J. Udoh, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, who moved the motions, supported by a six-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Hamzat Mogaji, litigation manager at Victor Giwa & Associates, fixed June 9 for the report of service after granting motion no. M/6603/2025.
Otaluka, on her part, before adjourning to June 25 for the report of service in a separate suit, no: FCT/HC/CV/1359/25, granted leave for Nwaebonyi to be served by substituted means, via an ex parte motion dated May 10, moved by Michael J. Numa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and another Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers, supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had earlier filed a N5 billion defamation suit against Nwaebonyi over a claim that she had six children with different men, a claim, which she described as not only false but a deliberate attempt to damage her reputation.
The female Senator, one in the only four in the current 10th NASS, had told the court that Nwaebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Central, made the allegations during a live interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme aired on March 6.
Detesting how the lawmaker called the her a “gold digger,” an “habitual liar,” and an “habitual blackmailer,” she also contested the alleged claim by Nwaebonyi that her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan, married her under duress, remarks, she claimed were made to depict her as someone in the habit of extorting money through dishonest means.
Stating further that Nwaebonyi was fully aware that the statements were false and made them to discredit her and justify her illegal suspension by the senate, she said the lawmaker, a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions, made the remarks to influence public opinion against her ongoing petition before the senate.
For these and other reliefs, she asked the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the Ebonyi Senator and his associates from publishing or causing the publication of defamatory content about her.
In the case of Akpabio, who she accused of sexual harassment and defamation through his aide, she sought N100 billion in general damages and N300 million in litigation costs from both the principal, who was former Governor of Akwa Ibom State as well as former Minister of Niger Delta and his aide.
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
Slavery is a wound on the memory of the Universal Church, Pope Leo XIV, said on Monday, as he issued a fresh apology over the participation of the the Catholic Church in the centuries-long delay in condemning slavery.
The pontiff stressed the position of the church after his predecessors had offered similar apologies, said: “For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon.”
Writing in a major text that warned about “new forms of slavery” behind the digital economy, the joined John Paul II, who denounced slave trade in 1992 before issuing a sweeping request for forgiveness for historical injustices in 2000 and Pope Francis who also repeatedly denounced contemporary forms of slavery.
In his own vein, Pope Leo, pointed out that the Church owned slaves until the Middle Ages and it also advised European sovereigns on how to justify the enslavement of “infidels.”
He stressed in “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), a document focused primarily on the rise of artificial intelligence, that it was only in the 19th century that “a formal, absolute and universal condemnation of slavery was clearly articulated.”
Hear him: “It is true that past events cannot be judged anachronistically, as though the moral criteria that matured over time had always been available. Yet neither can we deny or diminish the delay with which both society and the Church came to denounce the scourge of slavery. This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached.”
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