Gunmen have reportedly stormed the family country home of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central ) in Ihima.
The incident coincides with former Kogi State’s Governor Yahaya Bello petitioning the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate and prosecute Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over a false and defamatory accusation of being co-opted by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio to arrange her assassination.
Natasha is alleging sexual harassment by Akpabio, leading to her suspension from the Senate for six months.
The attackers were said to have arrived about 1am.
Armed with cutlasses and guns, the three men involved in the attack, damaged parts of the building, smashing windows and causing panic in the area.
The assault by unidentified gunmen, according to a statement by the Media office of the Senator in Abuja on Thursday, was however repelled by Civil Defence operatives and citizens.
Natasha in the statement signed by Israel Arogbonlo, said the Tuesday April 15 attackers apparently calculated she would be at the family house during the attack.
She said: “Two days ago, my younger brother took some contractors to my hometown in Ihima, to inspect locations for upcoming projects I attracted to my senatorial district.
“The unknown gunmen assumed I was the one in town and attacked my family house that night.
“Thankfully, the Civil Defence team and community members responded promptly and chased them off. A report was made at the police area command, and no one was hurt.”
Her media office accordingly called on the public to remain calm and support the pursuit of justice for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying, ” her dedication to speaking truth and representing her constituents should not be met with violence and intimidation”.
Chief Security Officer to the senator, Yakubu Ovanja, it was gathered, quickly informed the appropriate security agencies.
In response, officers from the Okehi Police Division rushed to the scene.
Although nobody was hurt and no suspects have been arrested yet, security officials recorded the extent of the damage and launched an investigation into the incident.
Although the reason behind the attack is still unknown, but Akpoti-Uduaghan’s aides are pointing accusing finger at the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the senator, Israel Arogbonlo, said: “We condemn the brazen attack on Senator Akpoti- Uduaghan’s family house in Obeiba-Ihima, Kogi State, on April 15. Armedmen, mistakenly believing the Senator was present, vandalized windows in her grandfather’s house. Fortunately, security operatives swiftly responded and repelled the attackers.
“This calculated assault appears to be a direct response to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s courageous stance against Senate President, Akpabio, whom she accused of sexual harassment. We urge the Inspector General of Police to immediately reinstate her security details.”
YAHAYA BELLO PETITIONS POLICE
Dated Wednesday and signed by his solicitor, N.A. Abubakar Esq, the petition by Yahaya Bello urged the police to invite the Senator to provide credible evidence supporting her recent public claims against him.
“Where she fails to do so, cause her to be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law for criminal defamation, inciting public disturbance and spreading false information injurious to public peace,” the petition reads.
Bello’s legal team said the statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a recent political rally were not only reckless but criminally defamatory and intended to incite public disorder.
“Our client’s attention has been drawn to a most disturbing, damaging and criminally defamatory statement made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan… during her public address at a political event tagged ‘Homecoming Rally’ held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Okehi LGA of Kogi State,” the letter stated.
Quoting her remarks at the rally, the letter said: “(Senate President Godswill) Akpabio sent for Yahaya Bello. And it was actually Senator Asuquo from Cross River that drove Yahaya Bello from Hilton Hotel.
“I was informed of everything and what I got to know of the meeting was in two folds. He told him to commence my recall and that he was going to fund it — of course, monies changed hands that night.
“The second thing he told him was that he should try and kill me. I didn’t make this public, but I wrote to the IG of Police. Akpabio told Yahaya Bello. He told him that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, that it should be done here, so it would seem as if it’s the people that killed me here…”
Bello’s lawyer argued that these claims, which have gone viral online, constitute a violation of Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, as well as Sections 114 and 140 of the Penal Code, both of which criminalise the dissemination of false information and incitement of public unrest.
“By accusing our client of plotting an assassination and naming him as a co-conspirator… Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan has: Gravely damaged our client’s reputation by portraying him as a violent and vengeful political actor… and abused her parliamentary status and platform by propagating such falsehoods without evidence,” the lawyer stated.
In a separate communication addressed directly to the senator, Bello’s lead counsel, R.O. Balogun, SAN, demanded a formal retraction of the statements and a public apology published in two national newspapers.
“We hereby demand, on behalf of our client, the following: That you issue a formal retraction of the said defamatory statements, to be published in two national dailies.
“That you cease and desist from making any further defamatory statements concerning him…
That you comply… within Fourteen days of the service of this letter on you,” the letter read.
It warned that failure to comply would result in civil and criminal legal actions.
In his petition, Bello accused the Senator of having a history of making false allegations and described her as “unhinged and apparently possessed of a schizophrenic disorder… characterised by manic narcissism, wild hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and an incurable incontinence with emotions and social interactions.”
He added, “Our Client… no longer feels the same duty of paternalistic indulgence… hence his insistence on full redress for her current accusations which, as usual, are totally fabricated and utterly baseless.”
Bello urged the IGP to act swiftly, warning that “failure to act in the circumstances of these egregious offences by Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan will embolden others to also weaponise political platforms for dangerous falsehoods and criminal misrepresentation…”
He stressed the need for immediate intervention to “preserve public order, safeguard the integrity of public discourse and protect innocent persons from targeted smear campaigns.”
