Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of punishing her in the senate for refusing his adances.

The Kogi Central Senator revealed this while speaking on Arise TV’s morning show on Friday, February 28, 2024.

“When we were at his house in Uyo for his birthday, he held my hand and offered to show me around his house. My husband was there, walking behind us.

When we got to a particular sitting room, he asked, ‘Do you like my house?’ I replied, ‘Of course, sir, every room, every living room.’ Then he said, ‘Now that you are a senator, I want us to come here at your convenience to spend time. You will enjoy it,” she said.

When asked to clarify her claims, she said, ‘My case is a case of a student being punished by a lecturer for refusing to sleep with him.”

On February 20, the lawmaker disrupted plenary by rejecting her assigned seat, defying Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s order, and repeatedly raising a point of order despite being overruled.

On Tuesday, the upper chamber referred her to the committee on ethics, privileges, and public petitions for disciplinary review.

In a statement on her X page on Thursday, the Kogi senator said she was ready to face the panel, but would not allow the matter to be handled behind closed doors.

Earlier, the Kogi senator filed a N100 billion defamation suit against Akpabio.

In the suit filed at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Akpabio and Mfon Patrick, his legislative aide, made defamatory comments against her.

The lawmaker asked the court to compel the respondents to withdraw the defamatory comments and apologise to her in a national newspaper.

Why I'm Being Maligned By Senate President Akpabio — Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan pic.twitter.com/jlk8pi2RxD

— News Region (@irnewsregion) February 28, 2025

The Lagos State Police Command has announced that the security details of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisola Meranda, have been reinstated.

Earlier report had it that the security escorts assigned to the Speaker’s office and her residence were withdrawn earlier on Thursday.

This raised questions, especially after the security details of impeached speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, were restored, leading him to storm the assembly complex and declare himself as speaker.

Obasa even chaired a plenary session with a small number of assembly members present.

However, in a press briefing on Thursday, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, confirmed that four security personnel who were previously withdrawn from the Speaker have now been restored.

He explained that the removal of security details from the Speaker and other Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the state was part of an ongoing audit of Police personnel and firearms.

Jimoh also mentioned that this audit is not exclusive to Lagos, as similar operations are being conducted in other states’ Police Commands.

More to come…

A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was unaware of an N860 million transaction linked to his company’s account by the Anambra State government.

The witness, Udochukwu Okparache, a general contractor and owner of Youdooh Ventures Limited, testified on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

He was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN.

According to a statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on its official X handle on Wednesday, Okparache said he only became aware of the transactions when he was invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning.

“Sometimes in April 2023, I was called by the EFCC to clarify transactions linked to Youdooh Ventures’ bank account. When I reviewed the records, I couldn’t understand some of the inflows. I immediately contacted my account officer, who told me my account was being boosted,” Okparache said.

The witness revealed that the transactions, which totalled N860 million, were carried out using Manager’s cheques, with funds eventually transferred to multiple beneficiaries, including Cherish Ventures Limited, Easy Demands Limited, and Eberechi Willie Obiano, the wife of the defendant.

“I did not bid for any contract with the Anambra State government,” he added.

During cross-examination by defense counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, Okparache admitted that he did not report the transactions to the bank because he wanted his account to reflect a stronger financial status.

He, however, maintained that he had no personal ties with the defendant and could not confirm whether the former governor authorised the payments.

The EFCC’s statement further emphasised that the funds were allegedly misappropriated as part of a broader N4 billion fraud case against Obiano, who is facing nine counts of money laundering, diversion of funds, stealing, and corruption.

Following the witness’s testimony, Justice Ekwo adjourned the trial to May 26, 27, and 28, 2025, for continuation of proceedings.

Obiano, who was arrested by the EFCC shortly after leaving office in 2022, has denied any wrongdoing.