The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the trial of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on allegations of cybercrime, rescheduling proceedings to February 4, 2026.
The case, which had been fixed for hearing on Monday before Justice Mohammed Umar, was unable to proceed due to the judge’s absence. This latest adjournment follows a similar setback on October 21, when a protest led by activist Omoyele Sowore disrupted court activities as demonstrators demanded the release of Nnamdi Kanu, recently convicted of terrorism offences.
Justice Umar had earlier fixed the October date after proceedings stalled over an objection raised by the defence. Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on June 30 on a six-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, and was granted bail before the case was initially set for trial in September.
On that date, just as prosecuting counsel David Kaswe prepared to call the first witness, defence counsel Ehiogie West-Idahosa raised a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction. He argued that the objection stemmed from what he described as an abuse of the Attorney General’s prosecutorial powers, and also noted that the defence had not been served with witness statements.
Although the prosecution urged the court to proceed, Justice Umar ruled that the jurisdictional objection must be resolved before trial could begin.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan is accused of disseminating false and harmful information electronically, allegedly intended to incite the public and endanger lives. The senator is said to have claimed during an April 4 gathering in Ihima, Kogi State, that Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed former Governor Yahaya Bello to have her killed. She reportedly repeated similar allegations during a televised interview.
The case is being prosecuted under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024.
