• FG files Five-count charge before FCT High Court, Abuja
• Nwebonyi accused of making defamatory comments on live TV
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• Offence punishable under Sections 391 and 392 of the Penal Code Act
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FG) has instituted a criminal defamation case against Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi over alleged defamatory remarks directed at Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The five-count charge, marked CR/547/2025, was filed before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, by Mohamed Babadoko Abubakar, Director of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, acting on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.
According to court documents dated September 11, 2025, Senator Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District and currently serves as Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, allegedly made the remarks between March 3 and 29, 2025, during televised appearances on Arise TV, Channels TV, TVC, and News Central.
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The prosecution accused Nwebonyi of making comments intended to injure Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation, including describing her as “a habitual accuser” and “a woman who uses her gender as a weapon.”
He also said, “This woman is a known blackmailer, and people should be very careful with this woman.”
In a statement signed by Mohamed Babadoko Abubakar, the Department of Public Prosecutions stated that the senator’s comments were “malicious and capable of exposing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule.”
The charge further alleged that Nwebonyi made personal remarks about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling her “a mother of six from different men” and questioning her moral standing — statements the prosecution said violate Section 391 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, and are punishable under Section 392 of the same Act.
Count One specifically accuses the senator of making imputations knowing they would harm the reputation of another person during a live interview on Arise TV’s NewsDay programme.
The Federal Government maintained that the comments were made with reckless disregard for the truth and therefore constitute criminal defamation under the law. The case has been formally scheduled for hearing at the FCT High Court, where Senator Nwebonyi is expected to enter his plea.
If convicted, the offence carries a sentence of imprisonment, a fine, or both, as provided under the Penal Code Act.
