The Federal High Court in Abuja has shifted the trial of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on alleged cybercrime against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio to February 4, 2026.
The adjournment of the high profile trial followed the absence of Justice Mohammed Umar in court on Monday who was said to have gone on an official assignment outside Abuja.
It will be recalled that the same trial was aborted on September 22 due to the protest organised by Omoyele Sowore to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Justice Umar’s court, on the third floor of the high-rise building, was then put under lock and key as court activities were crippled.
The matter was, however, fixed for November 24 when activities at the court resumed on Tuesday.
However, at this Monday’s proceedings, an official of the court informed the lawyers and litigants that the court would not be sitting on the ground that the Judge was engaged in an official assignment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on June 30 on a six-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar.
She was granted bail, following which Justice Umar adjourned till September 22 for the commencement of trial.
However, on the last adjourned date when the prosecuting lawyer, David Kaswe, was about to open his case by calling the 1st witness, the defence lawyer raised an objection.
The development was after a television screen had been mounted in the courtroom preparatory to the commencement of proceedings.
The defence lawyer, Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, had expressed concern about the possibility of the prosecution opening its case.
West-Idahosa had told the court that a notice of preliminary objection to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case had already been filed.
He said the objection is not to the nature of the charge, but the alleged abuse of the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The lawyer had also complained about not being served with copies of the statements of the prosecution witnesses.
Although Kaswe had on that day argued that the objection filed by the defendant should not be allowed to stall the court’s business for the day, Justice Umar insisted that the prosecution must first respond to the objection.
The judge had, however said he intended to first determine the objection raised by the defence before taking any further steps in the case.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, is alleged to have transmitted false and injurious information via electronic means with the intention to malign, incite and endanger lives and breach public order.
The senator was alleged to have, while addressing a gathering on April 4 in Ihima, Kogi State, accused the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of instructing ex-Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi to have her killed in the state.
She was also alleged to have, in a television interview, repeated similar claims, to the effect that the Senate President and former governor Yahaya Bello plotted to kill her in Kogi.
The charge is brought under the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention, (Amendment) Act 2024.
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