The senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a suit against Kogi State Government, Governor Yahaya Bello and the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo for linking her to terrorism activities in Nigeria.
According to a writ for the suit seen by our correspondent, Akpoti through her counsel, Falana and Falana’s Chambers, demanded the sum of N5 billion from the defendants for what the chambers deemed libelous and defamatory publication against her.
Recall that the state government had in the past weeks been in a war of words with Akpoti over the arrest of a suspected terrorist named Ibrahim Safiu.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Fanwo had issued a statement calling on security agencies to probe Akpoti over alleged link to Safiu.
Taking to mainstream media, Akpoti had also denied the allegations and also urged security agencies to instead, investigate Governor Bello and his Chief of Staff, Abdulkareem Asuku Jamiu.
However, the Natasha Akpoti has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to seek redress in a suit filed as CV/4/2/2022, with Vanguard Newspaper joined.
In the writ, she sought amongst other demands, a public apology and retraction of the said publication.
“An order against the defendants jointly and severally to pay the sum of N5,000, 000,000,000.00 (Five Billion Naira) as damages for the libelous publication by the Defendants against the Claimant in their various publications.
“An injunction restraining the Defendants jointly and severally by themselves, agents or servants or otherwise from publishing or causing to be published the said similar words defamatory against the Claimant.”
