Court Denies Nigerian govt’s bid to arrest Senator Natasha

 

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday dismissed a request by the Federal Government for a bench warrant to arrest suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is facing criminal defamation charges.

The decision came after the federal prosecutor, David Kaswe, informed the court that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer had just been served with the charges earlier that morning in court. Despite this, the senator failed to appear for arraignment.

Presiding Judge, Justice Muhammed Umar, rejected the arrest application, stating that the court could not hold the senator accountable for non-appearance when she had not previously been served the charge or given formal notice of the hearing.

Justice Umar ruled that, “as the senator had not previously been served with the charge or a hearing notice, it was inconceivable for her to have appeared in court.”

Kaswe argued that the senator should have been aware of the arraignment since her legal representative had accepted the documents on her behalf. However, the judge dismissed the claim, saying that service on legal counsel alone does not imply that the defendant herself was aware of the scheduled proceedings.

Following the ruling, the prosecution requested and was granted permission for substituted service of the charge through Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, Johnson Usman. The court subsequently fixed June 30 for her arraignment.