News
Appeal withdrawn, not dismissed: Setting the record straight on Senator Natasha’s media manipulation
By Monday O. Ubani, SAN
When I saw the recycled news from some bloggers and news outlets, I felt I need to offer a succinct and accurate clarification on the status of the pending legal matter between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and key officers of the National Assembly, currently before the Federal High Court, Abuja, and presided over by Hon. Justice Binta Nyako over her suspension matter.
At our last court appearance, the matter was fully heard, and judgment was reserved for the 27th of June 2025. This remains the true and correct position.
However, in light of ongoing media misinformation, especially orchestrated by blogs known for sensationalism and political manipulation, it is necessary to set the record straight regarding the interlocutory appeal and its withdrawal
Background to the Interlocutory Appeal
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan had filed a suit at the Federal High Court to challenge a summons by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions regarding her unparliamentary conduct during plenary sometime in February this year. The matter was initially assigned to Hon. Justice Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Upon ex parte application, Justice Egwuatu granted wide-reaching interim orders. As the matter progressed, parties filed their respective processes. A key procedural disagreement emerged: Senator Natasha’s lawyers insisted that all pending applications, including preliminary objections and the substantive originating summons, be heard together. Conversely, counsel representing the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Senate Committee on Ethics, and Senator Akpabio maintained that the preliminary objections should be heard and determined first.
Justice Egwuatu ruled that he would like to take all applications jointly. The legal team representing the Senate felt that the judge had exercised his discretion improperly, particularly in a politically sensitive matter like this one. They filed an interlocutory appeal challenging this procedural decision, seeking what is traditionally referred to as the “trinity prayers”: leave for extension of time for leave to appeal, leave to appeal, and enlargement of time to file the notice of appeal. They also sought a stay of proceedings at the lower court.
Change of Judge and Redirection of the Case
While the appeal was pending, Justice Egwuatu took two major steps. First, he vacated the earlier ex parte order that was far-reaching. Second, he recused himself from the matter entirely.
The case was reassigned to Hon. Justice Binta Nyako. Her handling of the matter was both procedurally sound and legally strategic. She ruled that she would consider all applications collectively but would prioritize ruling on the preliminary objections and contempt application before turning to the substantive issues raised by Senator Natasha. This approach, being fair and judicious, was well received by the legal team representing the Senate.
On the appointed day, she heard all the applications and reserved judgment for the 27th of June, 2025.
Why the Appeal Became Academic
Given that all applications had now been heard and judgment reserved, the motion for leave to file interlocutory appeal filed against Justice Egwuatu’s ruling became moot. Continuing with it would have been legally unnecessary and tactically unwise. Justice Egwuatu is no longer handling the case, and so who will the legal team be appealing against? The legal team therefore filed a motion to withdraw the appeal. The motion was heard and granted. The Court of Appeal struck out the motion and awarded a routine cost of ₦100,000 against the appellants.
Propaganda Masquerading as Legal Victory
Shockingly, over two weeks after the appeal was withdrawn, known propaganda blogs began circulating misleading reports, claiming that the withdrawal of the appeal amounted to a legal victory for Senator Natasha. This distortion of fact is both mischievous and insulting to the intelligence of the legal community.
Let the truth be told: no appeal was “dismissed on its merits” as falsely portrayed. The motion was withdrawn by the appellants themselves because it had become irrelevant. That decision was rooted in sound legal judgment, not defeat. Pursuing a now-academic appeal would only waste judicial resources and make a mockery of the process.
A Pattern of Manipulation
This recent media spin is emblematic of Senator Natasha’s broader public relations strategy, an endless stream of press statements, online propaganda, and contrived narratives designed to keep her name trending. Whether through partisan bloggers or pseudo-journalists, the goal appears to be to paint herself as a persecuted hero, regardless of the actual legal substance.
This includes ludicrous and unsubstantiated allegations ranging from sexual harassment and assassination plots to organ harvesting and bribery. Yet, despite the gravity of these criminal claims, not a shred of credible evidence has been produced.
Conclusion: Law, Not Lies, Will Prevail
It is crucial to emphasize that courtrooms, not newsrooms or social media platforms, remain the appropriate venues for establishing truth through evidence. The sensationalism peddled by Natasha’s online proxies may win the battle of hashtags, but it will not stand the test of judicial scrutiny.
In the end, it is not noise but evidence that determines credibility. The courts will decide based on facts and law, not on manipulated headlines.
We remain confident in our legal position and trust the wisdom of the court to deliver justice in due course.
•Dr. Monday O. Ubani, SAN, is Legal Adviser to the President of the Senate
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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