The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed criminal defamation charges against Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi over alleged defamatory remarks made against the Senator representing Kogi Central District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The five-count charge, 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 represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District and serves as Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, allegedly made the offensive statements between March 3 and 29, 2025, during appearances on Arise Television, Channels Television, TVC, and News Central TV, among other media outlets.
The prosecution alleged that the lawmaker made several “malicious statements” intended to tarnish Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation, describing 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.”
According to the Federal Government, the comments were “capable of exposing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule.”
The charge sheet also accuses Senator Nwebonyi of making disparaging personal remarks about the senator, including calling her “a mother of six from different men,” and questioning her moral character, statements the prosecution said constitute a violation of Section 391 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, punishable under Section 392 of the same Act.
The first count specifically accused Senator Nwebonyi of making imputations he knew would harm the reputation of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The statement of offence reads in part, “That on or about the 3rd day of March 2025, during a live studio interview programme ‘NewsDay’ on Arise Television in Abuja, you, Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, made the following imputation concerning Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan…”
During the said broadcast, Nwebonyi reportedly 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. This is the same woman that accused Reno Omokri, the former media aide to Jonathan, of sexual harassment. This is a woman I saw on a video yesterday accusing a Minister of sexual harassment. Are you the only woman in Nigeria, Senator Natasha? What is wrong with you?”
He continued, “This is madness. Nigerian women should rise against this. Senator Natasha is spoiling games for Nigerian women trying to enter politics because nobody will vote for a woman if women can behave this way. Then there is danger if you give them more power.”
In another part of the interview, the senator reportedly added, “Who are you? A mother of six… a mother of six from different men. Without going to her character, this is a mother of six from different men, and you think that her character is not questionable. I’m going to her character — she has to change! We should condemn evil, that’s the point. I’m a Christian.”
He allegedly concluded, “Listen! She is a habitual accuser, a habitual accuser of men, of sexual harassment.”
The prosecution contends that Senator Nwebonyi “knew or had reason to believe that these imputations would harm the reputation of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a Senator of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Counts two to five of the charge mirrored the first, citing similar remarks made by Senator Nwebonyi on other television networks.
The Federal Government maintained that the statements were made “maliciously and with reckless disregard for the truth,” thereby constituting criminal defamation under Nigerian law.
If convicted, Senator Nwebonyi faces penalties prescribed under Section 392 of the Penal Code Act, which include imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The case has been formally scheduled for hearing at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where the senator is expected to take his plea and defend himself against the allegations.
