By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA— The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, declined to issue a warrant for the arrest of the suspended senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The application was made by the  Federal Government which accused the lawmaker of failing to appear before the court to enter her plea to a fresh six-count charge it entered against her.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was alleged to have raised false and defamatory allegations, an action punishable under the Cybercrime Act.

When the matter was called up on Monday, FG’s lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, urged the court to issue a bench warrant to enable security agencies to arrest and produce the embattled lawmaker for her arraignment.

However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Mr. Johnson Usman, SAN, opposed the application, drawing the attention of the court to the fact that the prosecution only handed him a copy of the charge shortly before the proceeding commenced.

He equally decried that the charge was similar to another case that FG lodged against his client before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

In his brief ruling, Justice Muhammed Umar refused the application, noting that since there was no evidence that the defendant was served with either the charge or the hearing notice, it was impossible for her to be in court for the arraignment.

However, the court granted an order for substituted service of the charge on the defendant through her lawyer.

The case was subsequently adjourned till June 30 for arraignment.

It will be recalled that an Abuja High Court had also slated June 19 for the suspended lawmaker to answer to an earlier three-count charge that FG entered against her over alleged defamation.

Among those listed as witnesses in the matter included the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and a former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who were cited as nominal complainants.

Other witnesses are two police officers that investigated the matter, Maya Iliya and Abdulhafiz Garba; a Senator, Asuquo Ekpenyong and one Sandra Duru.

In the charge marked: CR/297/25, FG alleged that the embattled female lawmaker who was earlier handed a six-month suspension by the Senate, made the false and defamatory remarks when she appeared as guest on live television.

It specifically accused her of making “imputation, knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person.”

According to the charge, by making such false imputation that tarnished the image of others, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, committed an offence under 391 of the Penal Code, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.

It added that the alleged offence is punishable under section 392 of the same law.

Giving particulars of the offence in count-one of the charge, FG, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged crime on April 3, during a live broadcast on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The lawmaker was said to have made an allegation that some politicians opposed to her were plotting to assassinate her.