By Amah
Kindly share:
The Federal Government has dragged Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, to court for allegedly defaming Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The five-count criminal defamation charge was contained in a suit marked CR/547/2025, which was filed before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, by the Director of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohamed Babadoko Abubakar, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In the charge sheet, dated 11 September 2025, Nwebonyi, the Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, was accused of making the offensive remarks in March 2025 during appearances on Arise Television, Channels TV, TVC, and News Central TV.
The prosecution contends that the Senator made multiple malicious statements, such as describing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as “a habitual accuser” “a known blackmailer” and “a woman who uses her gender as a weapon,” with the intention of impugning intended to tarnish her reputation.
Furthermore, Nwebonyi reportedly made personal remarks about her family life.
According to the charge sheet, the remarks were “malicious, false, and capable of exposing the senator to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule,” adding that they ran foul of Section 391 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the FCT, and are punishable under Section 392 of the same Act.
According to Count One of the charge, Nwebonyi was accused of knowingly making imputations harmful to another person’s reputation.
It cited his televised interview on Arise News where he allegedly made several disparaging comments about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The other counts also alleged that Nwebonyi made similar defamatory statements on other media platforms.
The lawmaker is liable to imprisonment, a fine, or both, if convicted in accordance with the Penal Code.
